Cupping was developed thousands of years ago and though the techniques have modernized, the original philosophy remains the same.

Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine in which a therapist puts special cups on your skin for a few minutes to create suction. People get it for many purposes, including to help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, relaxation and well-being, and as a type of deep-tissue massage.

The cups may be made of:

  • Glass
  • Bamboo
  • Earthenware
  • Silicone
  • Horns

Cupping therapy might be trendy now, but it’s not new. It dates back to ancient Egyptian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern cultures. One of the oldest medical textbooks in the world, the Ebers Papyrus, describes how the ancient Egyptians used cupping therapy in 1,550 B.C.

Post cupping Rio athletes  

Types There are different methods of cupping, including:

Dry cupping

Wet cupping 

During both types of cupping, your therapist will put a flammable substance such as alcohol, herbs, or paper in a cup and set it on fire. As the fire goes out, he puts the cup upside down on your skin.As the air inside the cup cools, it creates a vacuum. This causes your skin to rise and redden as your blood vessels expand. The cup is generally left in place for up to 3 minutes. A more modern version of cupping uses a rubber pump instead of fire to create the vacuum inside the cup. Sometimes therapists use silicone cups, which they can move from place to place on your skin for a massage-like effect.Wet cupping creates a mild suction by leaving a cup in place for about 3 minutes. 

body after cupping 

They concluded that cupping therapy may be effective when people also get other treatments, like acupuncture or medications, for various diseases and conditions, such as:

  1. Herpes zoster
  2. Acne
  3. Facial paralysis
  4. Cervical spondylosis

The British Cupping Society says that cupping therapy is used to treat:

  • Blood disorders such as anaemia and haemophilia
  • Rheumatic diseases such as
  • Arthritis and fibromyalgia
  • Fertility and gynaecological disorders
  • Skin problems such as eczema and acne
  • High blood pressure
  • MigrainesAnxiety and depression
  • Bronchial congestion caused by allergies and asthma
  • Varicose veins

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