Cupping

A flame is inserted quickly into and out of a glass cup to create a vacuum, and then the cup is placed on the skin.

The suction created from the vacuum inside the cup gently pulls the skin and other soft tissues into the cup slightly. The result is that blood and other fluid circulation is stimulated, particularly where stagnation has occurred, as in places with muscle tension.

The Philosophy Behind Pain and Cupping

“Where there’s stagnation, there will be pain. Remove the stagnation, and you remove the pain.”

The old Chinese medical maxim holds that pain results from the congestion, stagnation, and blockage of Qi, or vital energy and fluids (lymph and blood). Pain is the result of obstructed, slowed, or irregular flow in the body. Chinese cupping is therefore a method of breaking up the blockage to restore the body’s natural flow of energy and fluids.

Cupping Appointments

Cupping is generally combined with massage and/or acupuncture as a full 75 minute or a short 45 minute appointment.