5 Conditions Cupping Can Help With
How Long Has Cupping Been Around?
Cupping is a type of therapy that uses suction cups to increase circulation systemically or on a particular part of the body.
A 2011 systemic review looked at the use of cupping for pain relief and showed favorable results for the treatment of low back pain and cancer pain.
Cupping has origins traced back to Ancient China, Korea, Tibet, Egypt and Greece. Ancient Egypt’s, Eber’s Papyrus from 1550 B.C.E. is one of the oldest medical texts citing cupping. Arabic and Islamic physicians from A.D. 854-1037 left behind illustrated texts on hijama (cupping). In China’s Jin Dynasty (281-341 C.E.) there is mention of the use of animal horns for draining fluids. Cupping is one of the oldest medical therapies that is still used today.
Because cupping has become popularized in the Western world it is thought of primarily as a treatment for sports injuries, but there are actually many conditions it can treat.
The Misappropriation Of Cupping Can Be Harmful
Cupping has become widely known as a treatment for sports injuries. We can recall seeing American Olympic swimmers and gymnasts donning circular marks on their backs and shoulders during competition in 2016. While it is great for more people to know about this helpful medical therapy and for patients to benefit from it, when providers take only a limited portion of the knowledge about the practice and remove it from the cultures it comes from, it can be harmful. It can harm the people of the cultures it comes from and it can cause the general public to be misinformed about the practice. With cupping, we can see today how not only is the true scope of the treatment modality not as widely known there are also many Western providers who do not know much about it, become vocal critics of it, while other Western providers are practicing a misinformed version of it. Cultural appreciation should have the goal of broadening your perspectives, showing respect and connecting with a culture or practice. To give ample respect before haphazardly monetizing it with the guise of helping others is something practitioners, healers and providers should be more mindful with. When it comes to cupping, many people think it is only good for sports injuries and we lose sight of the other conditions it can help with. This has a the tendency to give authority about the technique to those who are practicing it in its incomplete form, while traditional practitioners who tend to have a more complete skillset of cupping and its clinical contexts, are deemed as invalid. For those who primarily treat musculoskeletal conditions, they should also understand the full scope of cupping therapy to know when it can be safely administered and when it should not be used. This is the difference between traditional forms of medicine verses a musculoskeletal specialization. Traditional forms of medicine are often holistic and therefore, complete systems of care. Holistic, meaning we look at the body as whole and in the context of a person’s unique constitution, tendencies, lifestyle and relationships with others and their environment.
5 Conditions Cupping Can Help With
Because the majority of acupuncturists are trained in East Asian Medical (EAM) systems, they are able to diagnose patients holistically. This allows them to properly use cupping as a tool to treat multiple conditions, not just a symptom alone. The below conditions could be due to multiple reasons. In some cases cupping could be a huge help, in other cases it could be contraindicated or not appropriate. A provider trained in EAM would be able to make that determination.
Insomnia. Cupping can help tense muscles and improve your blood circulation so that you can relax into better and deeper sleep. Most patients will feel naturally relaxed and a bit sleepy after a cupping treatment. A study done on 92 college students in 2010, showed that the combination of cupping and acupuncture improved sleep significantly on those who received it.
Constipation. Work schedules, travel, dehydration, lack of exercise are some of the common causes of constipation. Cupping can help to encourage blood flow to the colon stimulating peristalsis and clear blockages. It can also engage the parasympathetic nervous system which encourages better functioning of the digestive organs.
Headaches. Dehydration, changes in weather patterns, poor circulation or deficiencies can either cause too much Qi rising up to the head or a lack of Qi and blood circulation to the head. A cupping treatment can create balance in circulation to relieve headaches. For those who experience tension headaches from tight muscles of the neck and shoulders, cupping can quickly dissolve that tension and allow the head to feel lighter and freer. Please be advised that cupping can also cause a headache! This is why working with a provider who understands EAM systems can make a difference! Those with headaches should also be advised to not receive cupping on an empty stomach and to stay hydrated before and after the treatment. Your provider can give you more information for you unique situation.
Asthma. Cupping has the ability to break up congested fluids and draws oxygen rich blood to the lungs and supporting muscles. This helps to strengthen lung function as well as assisting the body to expel the congested fluids. When respiratory muscles get chronically tight they can also become weaker. The improved circulation to these muscles will also help to strengthen breathing.
Stress. One of the causes of stagnant Qi is chronic stress. Cupping can help with tension that sometimes comes with stress and the flush of Qi, blood and body fluids that results from cupping can help to disperse feelings of frustration, being overwhelmed and help you feel calmer and more focused. This engages the parasympathetic nervous system which is why many people can feel tired or sleepy afterwards. Sometimes when your Qi is stagnant, you can feel sluggish or fatigued. Cupping can help re-circulate what’s stuck so that you can feel energized and motivated again.
Learn more about cupping from a previous blog post Cupping: What to Expect and Aftercare
Written by Dr. Emily Siy, DACM, L.Ac. on August 22, 2022
Sources:
Aboushanab, T.S., AlSanad, S. (2018) Cupping Therapy: An Overview From A Modern Perspective Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies Vol. 11, Issue 3 pp. 83-87
Dinallo, A. (2019) A Reflection of Cupping Therapy and Historical Medical Dominance International Journal of Complementary & Alternative Medicine Volume 12, Issue 2, 66-68
Kim, J., Lee, M.S., Lee, D., Boddy, K., Ernst, E. (2011) Cupping For Treating Pain: A Systemic Review. Evidence Based Complimentary Alternative Medicine 2011; 2011 : 467014.
Zheng, Y., Ren, G., Zhang, X. (2010) Acupuncture Plus Cupping For Treating Insomnia In College Students Journal Of Traditional Chinese Medicine Sept; 30 (3): 185-189