In my last post, I featured a photo of Wang Qun, an Olympic Chinese swimmer who used cupping to reduce pain before the Beijing Games began. This is the perfect time to give an explanation of Cupping.

Cupping is an ancient technique that involves placing jars on the skin, suctioning out the air and creating a vacuum. The underlying tissue is raised, or sucked, partway into the cup.

The purpose of cupping is to enhance circulation, help relieve pain, removes “heat,” and pull toxins from your body’s tissue. You usually feel a tight sensation in the area of the cup and that often feels good and relaxing for aching muscles. Cups are generally left in place for 5-20 minutes. Cupping causes the skin to temporarily turn red, blue or purple, especially if there is an energetic blockage under the cups. The skin discoloration may last anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. I have had particular good results for patients with the flu, colds, back pain, muscle pain, red itchy skin conditions, allergies, fevers, aches and pains.