More Information on Cupping

Cupping therapy has been found in ancient records dating back 3500 years, and it is still used today by many Licensed Acupuncturists and Chinese Medicine Doctors.

New advancements in technology and materials have been integrated with cupping therapies, and their uses now range across many different treatments and applications.

In Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, we utilize several methods depending upon the patient's needs. Only Licensed Acupuncturists and Chinese Medicine Doctors have the knowledge, training, clinical experience, and expertise to determine the appropriate diagnostic method for each individual patient.

These professionals use cupping for several different purposes. Here are a few:

    1. Meridian Restoration and Re-balancing:
    The body contains meridians. In modern medicine, we find the meridians to be part of the fascia, containing the piezoelectric qualities of fascial tissue. Ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors perceived the meridians as energetic pathways in the body, and indeed, modern research suggests that fascial piezoelectricity may underlie the flow they called Qi (Chi).
    Qi flows throughout every body part, tissue, and organ, just as the fascia does. Like acupuncture, cupping follows the lines of the meridians. There are five meridian lines on the back, and these are where the cups are usually placed.
    Using these points, cupping can help align and relax Qi while targeting more specific imbalances. By targeting the meridian channels, cupping strives to "open" these pathways through which life energy flows freely throughout the body, providing smoother circulation and improved Qi flow.
    Cupping is a form of myofascial decompression for the musculoskeletal system and is considered one of the best deep-tissue therapies available. It is thought to affect tissues up to four inches beneath the skin.
    Toxins can be released, blockages can be cleared, and veins and arteries can be refreshed within these affected tissues. Even the hands, wrists, legs, and ankles can be cupped, applying healing to specific organs associated with these points.
    This treatment is also valuable for the lungs, helping clear congestion from the common cold or assisting in the management of asthma. In fact, respiratory conditions are among the most common conditions for which cupping is used. Three thousand years ago, in the earliest Chinese documentation of cupping, it was recommended for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.

  • 2. Lymphatic Toxin Release:
    Cupping therapy can help release toxins from the body. The suction created by the cups penetrates deep into the tissues, encouraging the release of harmful toxins.
    Cupping draws fresh blood and lymph into the affected tissues, helping accelerate the body's natural healing response. It also stimulates the lymphatic system, promotes circulation, clears blood vessels, and stretches and activates the skin.


  • 3. Myo-fascial, Trigger Point, Musculo-tendon, and Musculoskeletal Cupping:
    This method is used when there is either a chronic or traumatic injury.
    In these cases, the fascia is affected in addition to the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. If the network of fascial planes is disrupted due to scar tissue adhesions (sometimes referred to as knots), restrictions in function and mobility can occur.
    Myofascial decompression through cupping may help reduce mechanical connective tissue changes following inflammation or trauma, decrease trigger points (the presence of hypersensitive, tender tissue within the muscle belly), reduce musculoskeletal dysfunction, minimize scar tissue adhesions, and improve myofascial syndromes caused by hypertonic muscle patterns.