Cupping: History & Benefits

[Cupping Therapy, 2014]

Scar Tissue Refinement,Wrinkles, Sports Injuries, Cellulite, Stress, Chronic Pain, Muscular Dysfunction…
this is but a short list of the many things that can be treated by Cupping Therapies.

When I decided to pursue a certification in Cupping Therapies, it was with one goal in mind: Pain Relief. As a massage therapist who works with a significant number of clients who are seeking natural pain-relief, I had seen first-hand how well Cupping worked on my clients who suffered from back-pain due to post-operative scar tissue or adhesions. But, the world of Cupping’s applications and benefits was much greater than I could have ever imagined.

Background
As a healing art, Cupping has been used all over the world, and no one can say what its origins really are. What is clear is that no other form of healing has ever been so widely used throughout history. Ancient Egypt, China, and Greece each have recorded history of Cupping being used before the common era (B.C.E.), and it is commonly accepted that Cupping has been used by healers for more that 5000 years. Ancient cultures used hollowed-out animal horn, bamboo, ceramics, sea-shells… anything that was available to them to create an air-tight tool for suction.
So, cupping has been around for a while.

But what exactly does it do?
Simple answer: It gets RESULTS.

How it works: Cups are placed on the skin and with negative pressure (vacuum) the skin and underlying tissues are pulled up into the cup. The negative pressure pulls stagnant blood and cellular waste (toxins) to the surface where it can be more readily flushed out by the Lymphatic System. The negative pressure also allows for release of constricted muscle tissues, connective tissues, and scar tissues, while also pulling fresh oxygenated blood into the tissues to facilitate healthier cellular function, healing, reduced inflammation, and relaxation.
What I was really amazed by, was how versatile cupping therapy truly is. Cups aren’t what they used to be: I’m not using animal horns or sea-shells to treat my clients. Today, there are cups that are beautifully designed for comfort and specific functions & treatments.
And, the multitude of issues that can be treated by cupping is truly astounding.

Scar Tissue Refinement: either for aesthetics-sake, or to help combat limitations in range-of-motion due to restrictive scar-tissue, or to help reduce symptoms of nerve entrapment and muscular dysfunction (PAIN). When you think of “scars” you can include: post-surgical scaring, traumas/injuries, and even stretch-marks and wrinkles. All can be treated with cupping.

Orthopedic Conditions: Strains & sprains (muscle, tendon & ligament damage), joint pain & dysfunction, inflammation, and chronic impairments of the body’s structural system can be treated with cupping.

Detoxification: Our tissues can (and do) store all of the ingested and environmental toxins we expose ourselves to on a daily basis. Cupping boosts the body’s ability to rid itself of these toxins by pulling them to the surface where the Lymphatic System can more readily flush them out of the body. Chronic puffiness, swelling, sinus infections, cellulite, and even intestinal wall build-up can be treated with cupping.

Muscular Tension: Cupping can enhance the effectiveness of Deep-Tissue Massage, Trigger-Point Therapy, Myofascial Release, and relieves general muscle tension. And, most find cupping much more relaxing than other more aggressive deep-tissue therapies.

Energy-Balancing: specially designed BioMagnetic cups used to perform “needleless acupuncture” are used to balance and restore proper flow of chi (the body’s vital energy). These cups have magnets which promote balanced energy flow, overall health, reduced stress, and homeostasis. If you want the benefits of acupuncture, without the needles, this is the treatment for you!

With Cupping Therapy, not only did I discover an amazingly effective therapy for treating my client’s pain, but I have discovered one of the most effective and comprehensive natural well-being treatments available.

Whatever your goals are, cupping therapies can provide a safe, non-invasive, highly-effective, non-traumatic alternative to many treatments and surgeries available.

Christopher Gallagher