Cupping Therapy

Cupping therapy is an ancient practise that uses suction cups on the skin; the idea is to draw blood to or away from parts of the body. People get this therapy for many reasons,  such as pain relief, inflammation relief, blood flow and relaxation and as a type of deep tissue massage.

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The cups may be made of:

• Glass

• Bamboo

• Earthenware

• Horn

• Silicone

• Plastic

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History of cupping therapy

Cupping therapy might be in trend now, but its certainly not new. It dates back to ancient Egyptian, Chinese and Middle Eastern Cultures. One of the oldest medical textbooks in the world, the Ebers Papyrus from 1550 B.C., describes how ancient Egyptians used cupping therapy for treating fever, pain, vertigo, menstrual problems, and other ailments.

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The Egyptians introduced cupping to the ancient Greeks who used it as a cure for almost every illness. In traditional Chinese medicine, it's closely linked to acupuncture. The Islamic Prophet Muhammad also recommended cupping in his writings, where he called it hijama (wet cupping).

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Originally, hollowed-out animal horns were used to treat boils and suck out venom from snake bites. Eventually, horns were replaced with bamboo and then by glass cups.

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Cupping was used widely in Europe and America until the 1800s, when it fell out of favour as the practice of medicine became more scientific and focused on treating illnesses from the inside out.

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People in several countries still practise cupping. Many Americans first became aware of it after seeing purplish circles on the body of swimmer Michael Phelps during 2016 Olympics.

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Benefits of Cupping Therapy

Cupping has been used for everything from digestive problems to pain management to unsightly veins.

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In 2012, researchers conducted a systemic review of studies on the efficacy of cupping. They found that when combines with other treatments, such as medications or acupuncture, cupping therapy provides significant benefit over other treatment alone for:

• acne

• cervical spondylosis

• facial paralysis

• herpes zoster

Researchers noted that studies of higher quality and with larger sample sizes are needed to draw definitive conclusions.​

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According to a 2018 overview of scientific literature, other research indicates cupping may help:

• promote the skin's blood flow

• increase pain threshold

• reduce inflammation

• modulate cellular immune system