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Cupping (拔罐ba guan) is an ancient Chinese Medicine practice. By reducing the pressure in the cup, the skin gets sucked up and rises under the cup as blood rushes up. Nowadays, cupping is wildly accepted all over the world. Cupping therapy is usually used as part of acupuncture treatment. It is often follow the point selection pattern that is used for standard acupuncture therapy. Traditional Chinese Medicine document showed that it has been part of Chinese medicine for over 2,500 years.

Basically, there are two ways in reducing pressure or say building up vacuum in the cup.

The traditional method, which is most acupuncturist prefer to use, is Fire Cupping (火罐 huo guan). It uses a flame to create suction in the cup. Nowadays more common used are special designed glass cups.

Another is Suction Cup(吸罐 xi guan) method. There is a valve at the top of the jar and a small hand-operated pump is attached it. So practitioner could suction out air without relying on fire.

Cupping brings fresh blood to the treatment area, it tends to improve circulation and recruit more immune fluid and immune cells. While under skin capillaries broken and blood cells congested by the vacuum pressure, the skin becomes redness and or bruise. In some case, the treated area has the tenderness, swollen and residue pain for a couple of hours or a couple days. The congestion and bruise will re-stimulate local immune and feed back to the entire immune system, which makes the treatment effect last longer. It helps to promote blood circulation, remove stasis, and alleviate swelling and pain. It is good for a variety of acute and chronic ailments. It also helps open up the chest and benefit the lungs and can benefit menstrual problems and digestive problems.

In some cases, while the cup is still sucking to the skin, practitioner will slide the cup along the skin, causing a regional pulling of the skin and muscle. This technique is called Gliding Cupping (游走罐 you zou guan). It is combination of Cupping and Gua Sha刮痧(Scraping),

Gua Sha刮痧(Scraping) is a remedy that carried out by scraping the skin with certain instrument or say scraper (special designed, animal horn, spoon, coin, etc.). This is with the intention of making skin bruise to break up stagnation. 

In order to allow easy movement, both Gliding Cupping (游走罐 you zou guan) and Gua Sha刮痧(Scraping) need to apply lubricant on the skin.  Medicated massage oils (with extracts of herbs) are particularly useful for this purpose. 

Each Cupping or Gua Sha session last about 10 to 15 minutes (typical range is 5–15 minutes). Treatment can be repeated, once the marks are cleared, until the problem is resolved.

Contraindications for Cupping and include: areas of skin that are inflamed, with skin lesion; convulsions, or easy bleeding (i.e., pathological level of low platelets); the abdominal area or lower back during pregnancy. 

Cupping and Gua Sha is mainly recommended for the treatment of

Emotional Disorder

depression

stress

Respiratory Diseases

chronic bronchitis and asthma

pediatric bronchitis

coughing

Digestive Diseases

IBS

constipation

diarrhea,

acute and chronic gastritis

pediatric indigestion

Pain Syndromes Þ any kind of chronic and acute pain

muscle achy, joint pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis

shoulder blade, Loins,

refractory headaches and migraines

Soft tissue injury

Gynecological Disorders

infertility and irregular menstruation

leukorrhea

PMS

Miscellaneous

common cold, especially with fever

insomnia

paralysis (i.e., stroke or injury)

facial paralysis

headache, toothache, sore throat, allergy eyes (redness and soreness of the eyes)

frozen shoulder

acute trigeminal neuralgia

fever and headache due to infection

acute conjunctivitis

allergies