We’ve seen many celebrities like The Rock and Ashley Graham doing it for musculoskeletal stress, but how does it connect to the beauty industry?
What is it?
Cupping therapy is a therapeutic method dating as far back as the Eber’s Papyrus of Ancient Eygpt in 1550 BC.¹ It is commonly practiced in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and used worldwide as a healing therapy to promote health and prevent disease.
How does it work?
Technique: The mechanism of cupping creates an airtight vacuum suction on the skin creating petechiae.³ The petechiae is considered therapeutic in nature.³
Cupping supports the balance and flow of qi–our body’s energy, therefore promoting blood circulation.³ When qi is unblocked and stagnant blood moves smoothly, healing begins. This therapy accelerates the healing process by decreasing swelling and inflammation.³ It is known to assist in treating localized pain such as acute and chronic neck, shoulder, and back pain and systemic diseases like diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure.¹
4 Benefits of Cupping
Supports Biomechanical changes in the Skin²
Cupping not only acts on the underlying tissue but also on the skin surface. As blood collects in the areas, toxins are released through the lymphatic system and nutrients in the blood provide healings to the treatment area.
Muscle Relaxation and Pain Reducation²
Cupping decreases tension in local tissue structures and improves blood circulation.² The pressure inside the cups causes a recovery type action as it stretches and releases the underlying fascia allowing the muscles to relax and pain to decrease.
Enhanced Immune Function²
Cupping Therapy improves circulation therefore the body is able to flush out toxins. To support this detoxification process it is important to stay hydrated by drinking water, and maintain a healthy diet and exercise regimen.
Hormonal Regulation²
Due to its massage-like characteristics, cupping therapy can stimulate the release of some feel-good hormones like serotonin and dopamine. The detoxification process activated by cupping also helps with excreting excess hormones circulating in the body.
Facial Cupping
Did you sense a little cosmetic cupping coming up? This technique can be used in combination with facial gua sha and cosmetic acupuncture. Specialized cups created for the face are used for this treatment. This is a gentle treatment that should give the face a flush of color as blood is being stimulated to enter the treatment area. Facial cupping assists in treating facial paralysis think conditions like Bell’s palsy, and even acne.
Contraindications
- Bleeding Disorders
- Broken Skin
- Cancer
- Pregnancy
This is not a complete list of contraindications. As always speak with your provider regarding your personal healthcare concerns.
Comment down below if you’ve had cupping or if you are now interested in it.
*Disclosure: Links included in this blog post might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide, I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my platform so I can continue to provide you with free content each month.
Resources
- Aboushanab TS, AlSanad S. Cupping Therapy: An Overview from a Modern Medicine Perspective. Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2005290117302042?via%3Dihub. Published February 7, 2018.
- Al-Bedah AMN, Elsubai IS, Qureshi NA, et al. The medical perspective of cupping therapy: Effects and mechanisms of action. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6435947/?report=printable. Published April 30, 2018.
- Chi L-M, Lin L-M, Chen C-L, Wang S-F, Lai H-L, Peng T-C. The Effectiveness of Cupping Therapy on Relieving Chronic Neck and Shoulder Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4814666/. Published 2016.
