Cupping–Pain Relief in a Glass
Cupping is a tension-relieving Chinese medicine technique that involves the placement of small glass or silicone cups on the skin using gentle suction, stimulating blood flow and promoting healing. Suction In the cups decompresses the muscles and tissue in the shoulders, low back, hips, or wherever they are placed. Think of it as a “reverse deep tissue massage.”
The principles of traditional Chinese medicine hold that the body's qi must flow freely in order for a person to be healthy. Cupping can help to unblock any obstructions in the flow of qi, restoring balance to the body. From a Western perspective, cupping can help free up areas of stiffness, bringing increased circulation to spasmed or tight muscles and sticky adhesions in the fascia that surround them.
Where is cupping used?
At our East Bay acupuncture office, we’ll often use cupping to help relieve neck, back, and hip pain. Cupping is sometimes used on the legs, especially in cases of tight IT bands and sciatica-like symptoms.
Cupping can also be used to improve ease of breathing by releasing tension and increasing circulation behind the lungs, especially in cases such as asthma, chronic shortness of breath, or acute lung congestion following a respiratory virus. Traditionally, cupping is also used to give the immune system a boost at the first signs of colds and flus.
Tiny cups designed especially for the face are used in cosmetic acupuncture treatments and can even relieve the pain and pressure of sinusitis and help treat nasal polyps.
When it is indicated, cupping may be included as part of your acupuncture appointments at Griffin Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine’s Oakland office.