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While trends of wellness and skincare take the world by storm, and the healing practices and medicines are all the rage right now. In this helter-skelter of skincare trends, there is one treatment, known as cupping therapy, in particular, that has stolen the show in recent years. It involves using glass cups. It is great for treating hundreds of digestive and respiratory ailments along with improving the skin’s health.
What is Cupping Therapy?
Cupping therapy is basically a Chinese traditional technique used to heal a variety of ailments. It involves creating a vacuum in the glass cups and putting it on certain acupuncture points. It can treat muscle pain, inflammation, soreness, cramps, migraine and anxiety. It also helps relieve respiratory diseases like pneumonia, common cold and bronchitis, and it is great for improving digestive conditions.
In addition to the benefits of cupping therapy listed above, it has several health benefits as well such as it improves the drainage of your lymph system, increases oxygen movement, improves blood flow, decreases inflammation and relieves pain and helps you relax better.
It’s not painful at all. Some say it feels like a deep tissue massage.
How Does Cupping Therapy Work?
Cupping therapy involves a vacuumed glass cup placed on the problem area. The vacuum created in the cups sucks the area targeting the deep tissues which help relax connective tissues or tender muscles.
Though some people compare it with tissue massage, it is quite the opposite of a massage as it involves pulling pressure away from tight, tense muscles instead of applying pressure down.
The Benefits of Cupping Therapy
The popularity of cupping therapy is increasing because of its effectiveness in treating a variety of ailments and its benefits for several areas on the body. It helps increase the oxygen movement, improves blood flow and decreases inflammation which, in turn, promotes healthier skin. It also helps your body clear off toxins.
Cupping therapy relieves pain in different areas of your body. It releases tissues in the body, ease stiffness associated with chronic neck and back pain, and helps relax tense muscles. It can also help patients of migraines and fatigue to ease their pain. Also, it is beneficial for athletes as it reduces muscle cramps, stiffness, joint pains which improves their performance.
Potential Side Effects
Like any other treatment and medicine, cupping therapy also has some side effects. It often leaves purplish marks that look like a hickey. The patient might also some soreness after the therapy session. The soreness is not one you feel after a good workout. These marks and soreness last for only a couple of days.
Things to Keep in Mind
Make sure that you book an appointment with a certified practitioner. Avoid cupping therapy if you have sunburn or wounds. Also, elderly people who have thin skin should steer from it. Those who have fibromyalgia are advised to seek out a practitioner who is an expert in working that condition.
Before the practitioner goes administering your full body, ask him/her to check on small area of skin to ensure your skin can tolerate the treatment.
How to treat your Skin after cupping therapy
One of the main side effects of cupping therapy is that leaves large, cup’s rim shaped bruises that last for a few days after the treatment. Avoid taking showers or getting that area wet in any way. Even try to avoid working out or go under the sun so that you don’t get sweaty. There are several creams available in the market that can help reduce the bruising and inflammation.
