Cupping is a form of alternative medicine that is in practice for ages. This holistic therapy dates back to as early as the 4th century! It is widely looked into and considered in the past few years, as Cupping became popular among sports & movie personalities.
One of the most famous celebs who used Cupping was the 28th-time Olympic gold medalist, Michael Phelps, who displayed his bruises during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Other celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Victoria Beckham, Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Aniston, and Padma Lakshmi swear by the cupping therapy and its benefits. Athletes all over the world from Wang Qun in the 2008 Olympics to tennis, Badminton players all talk about how cupping therapy has helped them perform better. Mets’ players like Daisuke Matsuzaka, Matt Harvey, Bobby Abreu, and Jacob deGrom reveal how the therapy, when used in combination with other forms of treatment, has helped them heal from injuries and also speed up the recovery process after they have had surgery. This not only helps you to cure suffering, but it also helps you to prevent sports injuries. It is also considered a new go-to treatment to look ageless and do away with aches and pains in therapeutic, relaxing sessions. It is quite popular among athletes as it increases blood supply to a specific area & helps heal sore, & tired muscles.
What exactly is cupping?
Originating in Egyptian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern cultures, Cupping involves placing cups on the skin to create suction. Suction facilitates the flow of "Qi" (Lifeforce)in the body. It enables healing as it increases blood circulation to the area in the cupping region. Cupping alleviates muscle tension, and improves overall blood flow, and promotes cell repair. It enables the formation of new connective tissues and creates new blood vessels in the tissue.
Cupping helps balance yin and yang(negative and positive) within the body. Restoring the balance between these two helps the body's resistance to pathogens and its ability to increase blood flow and reduce pain.
Cupping helps treat conditions like muscle pain and tension, Reduced joint movement, Headaches, Back pain and sciatica, stress, anxiety, etc.
It helps to prevent muscular catch, pain, and weakness - the reason why the sportsmen and athletes prefer to get done very frequently. Cupping can be done for general health and any chronic and acute muscular pain.
What are the benefits of cupping?
Since Cupping is used for a deep-tissue massage, it helps in relaxation & overall wellness.
Cupping helps treat pain and injury.
Cupping therapy removes toxins, dead cells, lymph, impurities, & other debris from the body.
- It removes disease-causing pathogens.
- Cupping therapy is popular with athletes as it heals the injuries by removing the stagnant blood & improves blood circulation. The replaced fresh blood is rich in oxygen & nutrients & it rejuvenates the body.
- It works wonders for people suffering from colds, flu, coughs, allergies, fevers, acne, facial paralysis, herpes zoster, & cervical spondylosis.
- Highly beneficial for people suffering from:
- Blood disorders like anemia & hemophilia
- Rheumatic diseases such as arthritis & fibromyalgia
- Fertility and gynecological disorders,
- Skin problems, high blood pressure, migraines, bronchial congestion, and varicose veins.
- It is also known to be a solution for anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
- Cupping therapy aids weight loss and cellulite treatments.
Dry Cupping
Dry cupping helps increase the blood flow and induces a stretch effect, which results in a reduction in muscle tension and associated pain. During the cupping session, the cups can either be left in a static position or be moved to achieve a good flow of blood in the tissues. This cupping therapy complements other therapies like Sports and Deep Tissue Massage, Dry Needling, and Acupuncture. Dry Cupping helps alleviate soft tissue injuries and reduce pain or discomfort.
How does Dry Cupping work?
A cup is placed on the skin during a cupping treatment and then suctioned onto the skin. When the cup is placed on your skin, the air inside the cup creates a vacuum that draws the skin and muscle upward into the cup. Your skin may turn red as the blood vessels respond to the change in pressure.
The vacuum creates suction to lift soft tissue and blood to the surface. This affected tissue then becomes saturated with fresh blood. The saturation results in new blood vessel formation and increases the nutrient and oxygen content within the affected area. Thus often leaving behind a circular mark, which disappears after a day or two. Due to this vacuum effect, the body responds by stimulating an inflammatory response, which promotes natural healing ability within itself. The body now releases white blood cells, platelets, and fibroblasts to initiate healing.
Finally, the stretch produced within the soft tissue and fascia results in a muscle relaxation effect, which ends up an improved range of motion and performance.
The cupping type to be performed is decided by the practitioner based on your medical condition & your preferences.
Who can benefit from cupping?
- Athletes and sportspeople - Our entire Cricket Team swears by it.
- Bollywood and Hollywood celebrities to keep them looking young and fit.
- Couples looking to conceive a child of their dream.
- Those suffering from pains and spasms in the body.
Cupping is one of the most therapeutic presents in the world. With its growing popularity, many people have started opting for it to prevent and cure injuries both acute and chronic in conditions.
What about the side effects of Cupping?
Cupping doesn't have any side effects.
Many individuals who are planning for a cupping session are worried about the bruises or the cupping marks. This is not common to all. The marks you see indicate that the harmful toxins and pathogens are brought to the surface. The colour of the cupping marks differs according to the toxic level in a specific area of the body. A lighter shade indicates fewer toxins or stagnation, while a darker hue means a higher level of it. The light cupping mark's colour disappears within 2-3 days, whereas a darker colour would take about a week’s time. Several holistic treatments can be used to improve wellness, but cupping therapy is very promising with its long list of health benefits.