Cupping Therapy: Alternative Medicine For Pain, Immunity & Digestion

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Western medicine has been the focal point in the medical industry for a long time. Constantly advancing and improving ways to cure and treat diseases, many people are unaware of different types of alternative medicine. One example is cupping therapy, which has been used by China since 1000 B.C. Cupping therapy has a lot of health benefits that even outweigh some of the modern medical techniques.

One of the benefits of using alternative medicine techniques like cupping therapy is that it doesn’t pose a risk for any side effects. When you take any pharmaceutical drug, there is usually a side effect to it. There is no downside to trying cupping therapy. Studies even show that it has the ability to help boost immune functions and also speed up your healing time.

Those are just a couple of benefits of using cupping therapy. To find the other benefits it is, keep reading.

Before I explain the benefits of cupping therapy, let me tell you how it works first. It expands the capillaries (smallest blood vessels in the body) and increases the amount of fluid that enters and leaves the tissues.

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Reduces Pain: One of the main reasons that people turn to alternative medicine is they want a safe and natural way to reduce muscle and joint pain. There is a report that is published in Evidence-Based Complimentary and Alternative Medicine that found that cupping therapy helped reduce pain for people with lower back problems compared to what the usual treatments were. The report also mentioned that it helped treat cancer pain more effectively than anticancer drugs.

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The reason why cupping therapy is so effective in reducing pain is because it’s thought to release deep tissue inside the body and help relax the muscles which will ease the stiffness that comes with chronic pain. Cupping therapy manages to target the soft tissue by applying pressure to the points that are swelling. Once the blood flow begins to increase, the swollen tissues receive the nutrients and oxygen they need.

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Relaxation: One of the main reasons people take medicine is to find ways to relax while the pain subsides. Cupping therapy does just that by sedating the central nervous system. You might wonder how cupping therapy can be relaxing, but some people enjoy being taken care of, and that’s exactly what happens during a session. The Pacific College of Oriental Medicine states that one of the reasons cupping therapy relaxes people is because the cups lift pressure from the tense muscles of the patient. This gives the same feeling that a deep tissue massage would give.

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Skin Health: There have been a few studies that have found cupping therapy to be effective in treating acne. The main reason is because it helps improve the blood flow in the body and can reduce inflammation. How it’s done is oil is applied to the skin before the suction cups are used. This brings heat to the area.

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Helps Treat Colds: For those who are constantly getting a cold or the flu, you might want to try cupping therapy. It is commonly used to help heal the lungs and clear phlegm or any congestion. By moving the blood and lymphatic fluid throughout the body, it helps improve the immune system. This is why cupping therapy has been associated with reducing asthma, lung diseases and infections.

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Digestion: One of the main ties to unhealthy digestion is stress. If someone has stomach pain, constant diarrhea or gastrointestinal diseases, they should try cupping therapy. Cupping therapy helps lower a patient’s stress response, which is commonly one of the reasons why people feel pain in the lower areas.

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You’re probably wondering if cupping therapy is safe. It isn’t usually painful, and you can be assured that trained practitioners use sterile equipment. If it’s your first time, the tightness and heat from the cups may seem uncomfortable at first, but you’ll eventually find it relaxing. The one thing I do want to say is if you are suffering from a skin infection, inflammation, ulcer or sensitivity, you should avoid cupping therapy. Pregnant women should also avoid it since there isn’t enough research to indicate that it is safe for them.

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