Cupping is a form of Chinese medicine therapy traditionally involving tiny glass orb cups and heat. The heat is placed under the cups and then the cups are applied directly to the skin. The heat and application cause suction to occur. The suction is said to help increase the flowing of energy within the body. Often times the suction is so powerful circular marks are left as a result.
Though one does have marks afterward, many athletes and celebrities swear by this form of therapy. You might have noticed in the Olympics this year many athletes are sporting red circles on their backs. Those marks are the result of the cupping technique. Two of the biggest athletes wearing the signature marks are Michael Phelps and Alexander Naddour. Most of the Olympians use cupping as a form of recovery from sore or achy muscles.
There are plenty of amazing things about cupping. One is that it can be fairly inexpensive. Many acupuncturists practice cupping so there is probably one near you. Also, cupping is very natural and fairly low risk. If anything occurs the worst of it might be the reddish marks or some discomfort. Yet all these things are temporary and repairable by the body over time.
The idea of discomfort sounds, well, uncomfortable. However, do remember that cupping is used as a method of promoting healing. This is because many use cupping as a form to stimulate their already painful muscles. So at least with the discomfort of cupping you are receiving the healing benefit of it. With a simple achy muscle the pain might go away over time with stretching.
People are usually specially trained in the art of cupping. So the person administering this treatment to you should know exactly what they are doing. The therapist should be able to adjust the cups to your own level of pain tolerance. Not to mention the act of having some of your muscle sucked up into a cup is not an everyday occurrence. Therefore there probably is going to be some new sensations felt with the treatment.
Having the cupping treatment done is one without drugs. The tools used are fire to heat the cups and the cups themselves. Other than that there is not much else to the therapy. There are other ways of stimulation like combing it with acupuncture. Yet overall the risks of cupping are relatively safe compared to the usage of drugs and surgeries.
Do to the minimal risk associated with cupping many people find worth in trying it. Yet does cupping really work? The answer is that it really depends on the person. There is not much scientific evidence that supports cupping as a treatment option. However, many people have their own ideas on how it might actually provide relief.
One general idea is that the promotion of healing is started by the increased blood flow. This occurs due to the suction of the skin. The new flow of blood then treats the injury. One different method is that the act of suction releases the built up tension. Yet this would appear to only work for the muscle tension problem.
So cupping is not really based in much science. Still many people such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Simpson use it as a form of treatment. Supposedly cupping helps treat other ailments like acne, migraines, and fertility. Therefore trying out the popular form of treatment might be beneficial. Of course, there is no guarantee with it.
Yet if so many people use cupping and say it works, something is bound to happen. For some people cupping just feels uncomfortable. For others, cupping really makes the difference in quickening the healing process. Though it should be noted that the key might be to have cupping therapy regularly. Yet who knows, you might find a reasonable difference.
