Cupping

One of the oldest medical texts to note cupping therapy is Eber’s papyrus (1550 B.C.) from Ancient Egypt. Though cupping is a part of many ancient healing practices, including Chinese, Traditional Korean, and Tibetan. Greek physician Hippocrates, often referred to as the “father” of medicine, even compiled descriptions of cupping techniques in many of his writings.

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Proponents believe the suction helps facilitate the flow of “qi” in the body. Qi is a Chinese word meaning life force. Many believe that cupping helps balance yin and yang, or the negative and positive, within the body. Restoring balance between these two extremes is thought to help with the body’s resistance to pathogens as well as its ability to increase blood flow and reduce pain.

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In modern research cupping has proven to be an effective alternative therapy to relieve many ailments and increase the bodies natural healing process. So much so that many of the worlds top athletes use cupping in their training regimen to promote muscle recovery and reduce swelling. Cupping has been shown to increase blood flow and promote cell repair, it may also help form new connective tissues and create new blood vessels in the tissues.