CUPS-CUPPING MASSAGE

Cupping applications are very effective in situations of:

• Anemia
• Low back pain, sciatica
• Musculoskeletal and sports injuries.
• Atrophy syndrome
• Chest pain
• Asthma
• Constipation
• Hypertension
• Dysmenorrhea,
• Depression
• Nocturnal enuresis
• Special action on the lymphatic system in cases of:
• Cellulite
• Lymphedema after surgical interventions, e.g. mastectomy

Cupping is a complete therapeutic technique, but it is also combined with other techniques. It is advisable to precede any kind of massage that will prepare the body and will also help in identifying the application points. Generally any technique which supports self-treating ability of human body can be combined with cups. Some of these are the Shiatsu, Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Reflexology, Osteopathy, Physiotherapy etc. Besides glass cups, which some of us remember from our grandmothers, there are hard –plastic cups applied with pistol-pump, soft-rubber ones, bamboo and solenoid. There are eleven different ways of Cupping application. Empty Cups, full, boiled in herbs, filled with water, removable, with wick, moxibution and herbal remedies. There is also gradation in their suction power: strong, moderate, light. So the therapist has many different options depending on the case, age and energy situation of the client. Cups can be applied locally to the painful area, at specific acupuncturepoints according to Chinese Medicine but also in remote or trigger points. The number and frequency of sessions varies.

In each case Cupping Therapy is a very powerful technique and fortunately it has more and more the attention of many therapists.

The ancient Egyptians were the first that used cups ( Ebers Papyrus of 1550 BC), but also in ancient Greece Hippocrates was a fan of therapy with cups. In China cups are used for thousands of years. The first references were in Bo Shu (ancient book written on silk). The first cups were made of animal horns and originally had a hole in the top to allow the therapist to take out the air. Many years after they made cups from glass and other materials.

Female 37 years old with severe dysmenorrhea problem from the age of 14. She had intense pains in the abdomen area a day before and the first day of her period. She also had headaches and nausea, vomiting, chest pain and swelling. Most often she misses her job because of these problems. I took all the information I needed for her condition. I came to the conclusion that according to Chinese medicine woman had cold and moisture syndrome in the womb. I decided to use cupping on certain points of Liver, Ren Mai and the Stomach Meridians in order to remove the cold and damp and restore the movement of blood. We had 6 sessions before her next period. For the first time she didn't have any pain before or during her menstruation. We continued with 2 sessions the week before her period for 4 months, in order to stabilize the results. The flow of blood changed quality several times but she had no pain or other symptoms. I recommended her some special therapeutic exercises from Tai Chi and abdominal breathing for relaxation and invigoration of pelvic region.