What Exactly is Cupping?

by | May 25, 2022 | moxibustion

According to the news, the U.S. team won the championship in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the Tokyo Olympics. The “firepot marks” on American athletes attracted our attention and were dubbed the mysterious “East Power” by everyone. In addition to the US team, the Australian swimmer Chalmers also has cupping marks on his body. It is reported that he underwent surgery for a shoulder injury last year, and cupping was used to relieve the pain during his recovery. There are also traces of cupping on Japanese swimmers.

After a lapse of five years, cupping marks on athletes appeared again at the Olympic Games. The last time it appeared was at the 2016 Rio Olympics. American swimmer Phelps wore a lot of dark purple circles on his back when he played, which aroused great curiosity among foreign netizens. In an interview with the media at the time, he said that he usually cups where the injury is the most serious, and he does it often, almost every time he finishes a competition, he will do cupping.

So: What exactly is cupping?

The cupping method is called the angle method in ancient times, also known as cupping gas and suction tube therapy. It uses the can as a tool to use combustion to remove the air in the can, resulting in negative pressure, so that it is adsorbed on the body surface of the acupoints or the parts to be pulled, generating stimulation and causing the quilt to be removed. The skin at the pulling site is hyperemic and congested to achieve the purpose of preventing and treating diseases.

A method of Chinese medicine to treat diseases. Also known as cupping gas, suction tube therapy. Using the tank as a device, the air in it is exhausted by the heat of combustion to generate negative pressure, so that it is adsorbed on the skin, causing the phenomenon of skin congestion in the pulled part, so as to achieve the purpose of curing diseases. Can come in a variety of textures and forms. The cupping method is suitable for rheumatism arthralgia, abdominal pain, indigestion, headache, high blood pressure, cold, cough, low back pain, menstrual disease, soft tissue injury, red eyes, swelling pain, sty, erysipelas, etc., especially for pediatric patients. Only high fever, convulsions, cramps, skin allergies or ulcers, thin muscles or uneven bones, and hairy areas should not be used. Pregnant women should use it with caution on the lumbosacral and abdomen.

There are many types of jars, and the commonly used clinical jars are bamboo jars, clay jars, glass jars, suction jars, and Improved Smart Electric Vacuum Cupping

1. Bamboo Cupping

Use 3-5cm diameter sturdy bamboo, cut it into 6-8cm or 8-10cm long bamboo tubes, leave one end as the bottom and the other end as the jar mouth, scrape off the green skin and inner membrane with a knife, Make a cylinder-shaped like a waist drum and polish it with sandpaper to make the mouth of the can smooth and even. The advantages of bamboo cans are that they are easy to obtain, economical and easy to make, light, and not easy to break. The disadvantage is that it is easy to dry and leak, and the adsorption force is not large.

2. Clay Cupping

Made of clay, the two ends of the jar are smaller, and the middle slightly protrudes outward, like a porcelain drum, with a flat bottom. The advantage of this tank is that it has high suction power, but it is heavy in texture and easy to break and damage.

3. Glass Cupping

On the basis of the pottery jar, it is made of glass instead. Its shape is spherical and the mouth of the jar is smooth. The advantage is that the texture is transparent, the changes in the local skin can be directly observed during use, it is convenient to grasp the time, and the clinical application is more common. The disadvantage is also easy to break.

4. Air Extraction Cupping

That is, use penicillin, streptomycin vials, or similar small vials, cut off the bottom of the vial and grind it smooth, and keep the rubber stopper on the top of the vial intact so that it can be used during pumping. The existing air extraction tank made of transparent plastic is provided with a piston to facilitate air extraction. Such cans are also fragile.

5. Smart Electric Vacuum Cupping

Smart electric vacuum cupping is a health and wellness instrument that is innovatively developed by combining modern technology with traditional medicine. Products with acupoints or local parts are the center (one) point, the meridian is the dimension, and multiple physical massages are used as the means.

BOXYM’s smart electric vacuum cupping integrates the functions of intelligent breathing cupping, hot compress, vibration, magnetic energy, etc., and can monitor the internal pressure of the tank through intelligent monitoring. It can adjust the vacuum negative pressure in real-time, realizing dynamic breathing cupping, and provide intimate products for home office and personal use.

Tags: cupping

Related Articles

7 Surprising Benefits of Cupping Massage

7 Surprising Benefits of Cupping Massage

Cupping is a form of massage therapy that decompresses soft tissues using vacuum suction, unlike other forms of massage that compresses soft tissues.  During cupping, the cup gently sucks to your skin and lifts underlying soft tissue into the...

Is Moxibustion Therapy Suitable For A Massage?

Is Moxibustion Therapy Suitable For A Massage?

Introduction: With the development of modern society, moxibustion in TCM is becoming more and morepopular. Moxibustion mainly has the functions of warming meridian to dissipate cold, promoting qi and activating collaterals, strengthening yang and solidifying, rising...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This