Traditional Chinese Medicine relies on various modalities to impact the Qi and different Patterns of the body. One of those methods is cupping, a technique with roots in ancient cultures that has been appearing more and more in the modern wellness world. In this article Evolve’s Dr. Peter Wood explores cupping, its benefits and how he integrates cups into his treatments.
Michael Phelps, multiple gold medalist in the pool, basically a human dolphin, took off his robe at the end of the pool as millions of viewers watched in awe, revealing nothing less than the body of a dolphin looking exactly like it got attacked by an octopus. What the heck?
Our collective eyes blinked open to the new reality where applying the medicine of cupping could not only suck old blood out of the system, but it could reduce pain and help speed healing of soft tissue injuries. Wait. Whoa. Did he say, “suck out old blood”? I’ve heard of leech treatments before, but giant hickies? Come on.
Then Gwyneth Paltrow appeared on red carpets with a similar looking skin profile. These days professional basketball and baseball players can regularly be seen sporting crop-circle-like designs on the exposed skin of their necks, shoulders, arms and legs.
Yep, it’s happening. People are getting cupped. And here’s how it works.
Cupping therapy involves creating suction to the skin with the use of cup-shaped bamboo, glass, wood, or silicone. The hard-shelled cups use fire (a cotton ball soaked in 99% alcohol at the end is lit to remove their oxygen, causing suction when the open end is sealed on the patient’s skin). This suction pulls the skin and underlying tissues up into the cup. The soft-shelled silicone cups create this suction when the practitioner releases the compressed silicone cup on the skin surface, and it returns to its original shape.
Silicone cups are my personal preference and the type of cup I use in my practice. I used to practice the fire method with glass cups until I discovered that you could generate the same suction and have the same effect by using silicone, and not have to bring fire near any patient’s skin. Although I’ve never burned anyone, it has been known to happen, likely by less refined practitioners. I like to take the chance for burns completely out of the picture where possible during treatments.
The suction created by the cups effectively pulls blood into the small capillaries at the surface of the skin causing localized erythema (redness) that looks, but doesn’t feel like bruising. Bruising happens when a blunt object comes into forceful and sudden contact with the body, crushing these same tiny capillaries (and sometimes some bigger, deeper ones too) and blood is ushered into the adjoining tissues. One hurts, the other feels good.
Ancient cultures of Egypt, India, and China used cupping as a medical modality, moving from hollowed out horns to bamboo and then glass tools that initially helped express boils and snake venom.
The Traditional Chinese Medicine system theorizes that pain is a function of the blockage of flow of Qi and Blood. Where there is pain, there is no flow. Where there is flow, there is no pain. The stuck energy and blood sitting in these areas of pain is sucked to the surface of the skin by the cups. This breaks up the dam, and flow is restored to the area, thereby reducing or eliminating the pain. It is also then easier for the body to rid itself of the old blood that has been pulled out to the surface.
Sliding cupping is a cupping technique that uses massage oil over the skin to cause a slippery surface for the suctioned cup to slide over as it lifts and massages the surface tissues, including the fascia wrapping the muscles. Similar reddening occurs on the skin of the patient along the pathway of the sliding cup after a few passes. I use a massage oil infused with warming and blood moving herbs to enhance the analgesic effect, particularly if the pain is related to Cold damage or Dampness (worsens with cold, rainy weather).
Although there isn’t much in the area of definitive scientific studies that prove the effectiveness of cupping; in my experience in the cases where cupping is indicated in treating pain or injury rehabilitation, its use enhances the healing effect of the acupuncture treatment.
I choose whether to use cupping along with the acupuncture on a patient-to-patient basis, depending on their condition and Pattern. I often add it when treating chronic (long-term) musculoskeletal pain syndromes, if the Pattern calls for it.
If you’re cupping-curious Dr. Wood is happy to chat with you about adding it to your treatment plan during your next acupuncture appointment. You can book an appointment with Dr. Wood online or email us at info@evolvevancouver.ca.
Please note that any advice in this article doesn’t replace personalized medical advice from a professional.