In Traditional Chinese Medicine it is believed that pain results from the congestion, stagnation, and blockage of Qi, or vital energy, vital fluids, lymph, phlegm and blood. If pain is the core of disease, then suffering is a result of obstructed or irregular flow in the body. Cupping in Chinese medicine is a method of breaking up the blockage to restore the body’s natural flow of energy and blood.
Like acupuncture, cupping follows the lines of the meridians in the body. By targeting the meridian channels, the suction and negative pressure provided by cupping “opens” these channels. Cupping increases blood and lymphatic circulation systemically and to the local area, relaxes muscle tissue, relieves inflammation, stretches muscle and connective tissue, loosens adhesions, pulls blood supply to the skin, relieves anxiety, fatigue and migraines, dispels wind, damp and cold to treat muscle and joint pain, stiffness and arthritis, strengthens the immune system by promoting the flow of lymphatic fluid, and draws stagnation, pathogenic factors and toxins out of the body.
