Most people had not seen or heard of cupping until Michael Phelps, winner of 23 gold medals in swimming, proudly wore some purple or red circular marks on his back and arms during the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Many Hollywood actresses have also stepped out onto the red carpet showing their markings. I was excited to see it being discussed in the mainstream media. Cupping is not just for superior athletes or the Hollywood elite though. I have been using cupping therapy in conjunction with acupuncture to assist with my pain management for over 15 years.
Cupping is an alternative medicine practice used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Cupping can reduce pain, inflammation, and stagnation in blood flow that can occur frequently in the body. With my conditions I have chronic inflammation, chronic muscle spasms, and severe pain. Cupping can improve your qi (pronounced chi), which can improve your overall health.
Qi can be considered to be the energy flow in the body and the environment around us. It has also been called a person’s life force. When the energy flow in the body is compromised, blockages can result. Blockages can create many different issues and symptoms in the body.
Cupping works to remove blockages in the body. By improving the blood flow to certain areas, circulation improves and many toxins can be drawn to the surface and removed. Typically, the darker the areas are after the treatment the more toxins and stagnation were there. So, I was always happy to see really dark red or purple marks.
Cupping may promote healing and grant better overall wellness and health to patients. Cupping has been shown to be beneficial for a wide variety of conditions including but not limited to Fibromyalgia, muscle spasms, lung disorders, digestive illnesses, depression, back pain, fertility, insomnia, stress relief, chronic pain, and more.
The wonderful thing about cupping is the low risk of adverse effects associated with it. Cupping works towards healing the body whereas many prescription medications for pain just mask the underlying problem and can potentially create more symptoms from their side effects.
There are two types of cupping: wet and dry. For many years the acupuncturist I saw only did dry cupping. It literally involves a plastic or glass cup being placed on an area of the body. Typically, I’ve had them placed on my shoulders, arms, legs or bottom. A tool is used to suction the cups tightly to the body. Some slight discomfort may be felt, but I’ve never thought the dry cupping hurt badly. The cups are left on the body anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on your acupuncturist or practitioner. Then, they’ll be removed. The first photo shows dry cupping along with an infrared light. The infrared light serves to heat up the body and also reduce inflammation and toxins.
I went to a new acupuncturist in 2016 and had my first experience with wet cupping. I like to think after what I’ve been through that I’m a tough lady, but the wet cupping was painful. I told my new acupuncturist that I’d always done dry cupping. There was a language barrier, but he spoke just enough English to make me comfortable that we could communicate well. I’ll never forget what he said. “Oh dry cupping is for babies” with a slight sarcasm and slight laugh. I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry when he said that, but I was ready for the more aggressive treatment. “Bring it”, I thought. “Here goes nothing.”
Yes, it was much more painful than expected. The acupuncturist used tiny needles to poke several tiny holes in the back of both of my knees. He said it is an area where toxins can be held. After doing that, he placed the cups over the area, and they pulled out blood. The blood coming out was dark purple and thick. He said that showed toxins and stagnation in the area. If your blood is stuck, it makes sense that unwanted toxins can build up and cause problems. He repeated that process several times. I felt like I was going through some kind of Chinese torture. That area of the body seems to be more sensitive too.
Below are some photos after my first wet cupping experience on the backs of my knees. The backs of my knees stayed like this for about 2 weeks. I do believe it helped me.
I’ve since had another acupuncturist perform the wet cupping on my upper and lower back. It was still very painful, but I know it helped remove a lot of stagnation, toxins and blockages from my body. My muscle spasms have slowly improved in those areas. With my medical history, I’m always willing to take some temporary pain for some long term gain. If you look closely in the upper left section of the photo below, you can see a lot of little dots that may appear to look like bumps. Those dots were made with needle sticks prior to the wet cupping.
It is possible to feel some immediate relief from wet or dry cupping. I typically do. I feel more relaxed and less pain from just one treatment. Depending on your conditions and symptoms, you’ll most likely require more than one treatment to see long term benefits.
Cupping can leave rather large purplish or red markings that can last from three days up to a week. For me they sometimes stay as long as two weeks. After treatments I sometimes forget and wear clothes that show these marks. If you are planning to wear a formal dress or go to the beach, you may want to keep that in mind prior to your treatment. You can be a little sore on these areas for a few days too, but the pain is minimal.
My recommendation is to try dry cupping first. It is definitely the milder form of the two. If you are brave enough and looking for a more aggressive treatment, give wet cupping a try. It can be painful, so you’ve been warned.
During my pregnancy in 2013, I was visiting my chiropractor and acupuncturist quite frequently, especially towards the end. My acupuncturist who’d been treating me for over 13 years finally recommended I buy my own cupping set. “Really?” I said. I was pumped! I don’t recommend that for newbies though. There are certain areas that must be avoided during pregnancy for cupping and acupuncture, so again don’t try this at home. I had years of treatment and guidance prior to buying my own set.
My husband now knows how to help me apply cups to myself at home. We joke about our romantic Friday nights sitting in front of the television while he helps apply the cups to my back. It still freaks him out a little bit sometimes watching it, which makes me laugh.
I highly recommend giving cupping a try if you feel you have any of the aforementioned conditions that could benefit from it. It can potentially help many kinds of medical conditions. It will continue to be part of my treatment plan.
