Cupping

Cupping therapy is used to help manage a health condition or enhance wellness. It involves manipulating the soft tissues of the body using vacuum cups. Cupping has been practiced in most cultures, both Eastern and Western, throughout human history, and was one of the earliest tools that people used to try to relieve pain.

Cupping uses heat or pressure to create a vacuum in a glass or plastic cup to gently pull soft tissue into the cup. This process increases circulation to the area. Cupping is commonly uses for injuries, pain, and muscle recovery from intense training. The increase in circulation to the area brings pain relieving chemicals that are naturally produced by our immune system. 

Massage therapy has been studied for several types of pain, including low-back pain, neck and shoulder pain, pain from osteoarthritis of the knee, and headaches. Here’s what the science says:

• A 2019 Randomized Clinical Trial results showed that incorporation of cupping therapy in a routine physical therapy program can reduce the severity of symptoms and improve the distal sensory disturbance of the median nerve. 

• A 2020 Single Blind Randomized Clinical Trial found that cupping therapy can significantly relieved fatigue symptoms and improved emotion and sleep condition of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients, and 10 sessions of treatment had superior results compared with 5 sessions in each group.

• A 2019 Randomized Clinical Trial showed Wet-cupping may be a proper method to decrease persistent nonspecific low back pain without any conventional treatment. The therapeutic effects of wet-cupping can be longer lasting than conventional therapy.