CUPPING

Cupping is a therapy used in Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to remove stagnation and stimulate the flow of qi (energy) in the body.

There are different types of cupping:

– Wet cupping/ Hijama: small incisions are made in the skin before placing suction cups to draw out blood.
*This modality is not available

– Dry/Fire cupping: blood is not drawn out.

Benefits:

  • Relieves muscle pain and tension
  • Helps the lymphatic system to remove toxins
  • Increases relaxation
  • Helps clearing congestion caused by flu or common cold

What to expect

The practitioner will apply some oil on the back first and depending on the type of cups used (bamboo, plastic, silicone, glass), vacuum will be created with manual suction or fire. The cups are normally  kept in place between 5 to 10 minutes. Although it is a painless therapy, circles or dark marks similar to bruises can stay on the skin for days.

Cupping is not suitable for people with the following conditions:

– fragile skin
– contagious skin problems
– diabetes
– exhaustion/ chronic fatigue
– brain haemorrhage
– epilepsy
– spondylitis
– spondylosis
– hypertension