Cupping is a very ancient art and was practiced worldwide. It can be found in many cultures around the globe. It can be applied to any body part, including yin and yang surfaces, to remove dampness, heat, qi, and blood stagnation.
Cupping affects the tissues to the bone. It can cause a shift in circulation and helps on a deep level. It can be used for deep pain in the muscles and can be used on the abdomen to improve gut motility. On the thorax, it enhances circulation of the lungs and can be used for the common cold, pneumonia, and bronchitis.
For allergic symptoms, cupping can be done to Ren 8 (over the navel). It has been known to remove wind, cold, and pain, aspirate pus out of sores, and assist in bloodletting, headache, vertigo, PMS, BI syndrome, allergies, Hypertension, cough, low back pain, snake bite, and painful menses. Gentle cupping on GB21, TB15, and SI13 can help reduce High Blood Pressure. It is perfect for cupping the navel to help allergies remove cold, which can be felt in areas of tension by the patient where that cold has penetrated too. It can create profound change, especially if followed by Moxa.
Cupping can be performed with either glass cups and fire or plastic suction. Fire cupping creates a vacuum inside the cup as it is applied to a person’s skin. A person receiving the cupping must be told there may be some bruising marks, which should be kept warm and covered afterward to avoid cold invasion. Cups may be allowed to sit, to pull out stagnation, or moved and used along with Gua Sha, moving the cups helps invigorate the channels, and move Qi, mainly when applied along the Bladder channel on the back.
Cupping is lovely for loosening the muscles and removing tightness from the tissues. It is perfect for relieving tension along the spine. It is used for pathogenic influences in the Wei level (area between the skin and muscles). If you have not tried it, you should; it’s fantastic!