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Is The Cup Half Full Or Half Empty?

Introduction

Cupping therapy was first documented on Eber&rsquo;s papyrus in 1550 BCE, in North Africa. It was the time when a cup was actually an Egyptian glyph used to refer to a physician.&nbsp;

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In Asia, during the Jin dynasty, Ge Hong (281-341 CE) mentioned the use of animal horns to drain the fluids from the body, a practice he thought was helpful in case of emergencies.&nbsp;

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According to Chinese medicine, cupping and other treatments essentially follow the Daoist model of holism. Holism is basically the philosophy in which systems and their properties must be viewed in totality, and not just as a collection of parts. Daoists believed that humans couldn&rsquo;t exist unless they are closely related to nature. 
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Understanding Medical Cupping

Cupping is a technique in which cups are placed over the skin and negative pressure is generated through suction.&nbsp;

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It&rsquo;s usually done in 2 ways: dry method and wet method. Dry cupping is noninvasive; hence, there&rsquo;s no blood loss. On the other hand, wet cupping is an invasive type and is subdivided into traditional wet cupping and Al-hijamah.&nbsp;

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Al-hijamah is derived from an Arabic word &ldquo;hajam&rdquo;, which means sucking, expansion, and bloodletting. The traditional wet cupping is commonly practiced in China, Korea, and Germany, while Al-hijamah is popular in the Middle East and North Africa.&nbsp;

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The method of cupping, how it relieves pain and promotes healing is still being studied. A large number of people believe in healing through cupping and get this treatment quite often. 
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Cups are placed on the skin and, through suction, they manage to draw fluid into the focused areas. These areas are carefully marked and decided according to the importance of blood flow. It breaks tiny blood vessels under the skin thus causing a fake injury in that area. As the negative pressure increases, the suction makes the small blood capillaries rupture and release blood but the blood loss in this case is harmless if done with the right technique.&nbsp;

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Your body automatically sends more blood to the injured area to fasten the healing process. In this way, blood circulation is increased, giving a signal to the blood cells to mature and multiply faster. It also signals the erythropoietin system to enhance the process of maturation and release of new blood cells. According to some people, it clears pores and releases toxins produced in your body. 
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There are several ways through which cupping can be done. Some practitioners leave the cups in the same position for several minutes; others choose to slightly move the cups to produce tension and massage the area. The number of cups used in the treatment can also vary.&nbsp;

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Some of the methods through which cupping can be done include:

<ul>
	<li>&nbsp;Dry Method: The inside of the cup is heated mostly with the help of alcohol-soaked cotton balls set on fire. Heat makes the cup oxygen-free; in other words, it produces a vacuum in the cup. Some use suction machines to produce vacuum in the cups. Once the cups are placed on the skin, the vacuum pulls the skin into the cup. It draws more blood to the concerned area as the suction starts to work.</li>
	<li>Wet Method: The skin is punctured by your <a href="https://merisehat.pk/article/accessing-quality-healthcare-online-doctors-in-pakistan">healthcare</a> provider with the help of a needle. It can be done either before cupping or after the cupping step. Puncturing releases toxins during cupping. It is one of the most common methods used to relieve pains, muscle stiffness, and to relax the body.</li>
	<li>Running Cupping Method: Suctioned cups are moved across the body. Oil is applied to the desired parts of the body to massage and also because it aids in the smooth motion of the cups. This method increases circulation in different parts of the body where the cup moves. The practitioner is well aware of all the pressure points and, therefore, applies the suction accordingly.</li>
	<li>Flash Cupping Method: It involves rapid, repeated suction and release of cups. It needs great expertise and skill for optimized results and to ensure there is no harm to the person. 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

&nbsp;Mostly cups of glass and plastic are used, but other materials like bamboo, ceramic metal, and silicone can also be used. The cup material depends upon the choice of the practitioner or the person receiving the cupping treatment. 
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Cupping is sometimes done along with acupuncture treatment.&nbsp;

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Also, for best results, professionals recommend either to fast or to eat light meals approximately 2 hours before each session.

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During your cupping session you can experience the following things:

<ul>
	<li>The practitioner begins by taking a detailed medical history. They ask you many questions, like what symptoms you are experiencing and where you feel pain in your body.</li>
	<li>Cups are placed directly on your skin. Some people might find it uncomfortable at first but it&rsquo;s nothing for you to worry about; the body gets used to it after a while.</li>
	<li>It&rsquo;s normal to feel a sucking sensation and pressure on your body. Once the session is underway, this sensation becomes quite tolerable and relaxing.</li>
	<li>The practitioner may leave you to rest for a few minutes before they remove the cups. It depends upon the procedure you signed up for.</li>
	<li>Your skin might turn red and slight bruises might appear on your skin after the session. This is normal and it all heals within a few days.&nbsp; 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

A study in 2017 showed the clinical effects of cupping. According to it, cupping increases our blood flow, initiating a healing process in compromised areas of the body. It also stretches the underlying tissues.&nbsp;

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Heme oxygenase-1 is a gene that prevents vascular inflammation. According to a study, cupping therapy activates this gene, thus, proving to be beneficial for local as well as systemic health.&nbsp;

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In 2010, a study revealed that cupping therapy is quite effective in treating medical conditions, like herpes zoster and associated pain, facial paralysis, and cervical spondylosis. It helps in reducing blood pressure and preventing cardiovascular diseases in healthy people.&nbsp;

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Studies have proven that wet cupping especially is very helpful in treating musculoskeletal pains, back pain in low areas, neck pain, fibromyalgia, and other conditions. It is, moreover, quite effective in treating the pain and other symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

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Also, it plays a major role in relaxing the body and activating the healing system so that the body is prepared for any upcoming disease or infection. 
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Conclusion

Cupping is an ancient technique and has been used by different communities. It has proved efficient in relieving pain in patients with long standing diseases such as fibromyalgia. It should be kept in mind that sometimes non-conventional treatments which have logical mechanisms of action are not that bad to try. After all, it’s up to you if you think the cup is half full or not.

Key Points

<ul>
	<li>Cupping is a technique in which cups are placed over the skin and negative pressure is generated through suction.</li>
	<li>Cupping technique can be done by 2 methods: dry method and wet method. In dry cupping no invasion is done and, hence, there&rsquo;s no blood loss. The wet method is invasive and is further categorized into traditional wet cupping and Al-hijamah.</li>
	<li>&nbsp;While traditional wet cupping is commonly practiced in China, Korea, and Germany, wet cupping is popular in the Middle East and North Africa.</li>
	<li>The method of cupping, how it relieves pain and promotes healing is still being studied. A large number of people believe in healing through cupping and get this treatment quite often.</li>
	<li>The suction increases the negative pressure; as a result, the small blood capillaries rupture and release blood. But the blood loss in this case is harmless if done with the right technique. Your body sends more blood to the injured area to fasten the healing process.</li>
	<li>It also signals the erythropoietin system to enhance the process of maturation and release of new blood cells. It clears pores and releases toxins that your body produces.</li>
	<li>&nbsp;Some practitioners leave the cups in the same position for several minutes; others choose to slightly move the cups to produce tension and massage the area. The number of cups used in the treatment can also vary.</li>
	<li>&nbsp;A study in 2017 showed the medicinal effects of cupping. According to this report, cupping increases the blood flow in the body, initiating a healing process in compromised areas of the body. It also stretches the underlying tissues.</li>
	<li>Heme oxygenase-1 is a gene that prevents vascular inflammation. According to a study, cupping therapy activates this gene, thus, proving to be beneficial for local as well as systemic health.</li>
	<li>Cupping is sometimes done along with acupuncture treatment. For best results, professionals recommend either to fast or to eat light meals approximately 2-3 hours before each session.</li>
	<li>In 2010, a study revealed that cupping therapy is quite effective in treating medical conditions like herpes zoster and associated pain, facial paralysis, cervical spondylosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, musculoskeletal pain, fibromyalgia, and cardiovascular diseases.</li>
</ul>

[1] Furhad S, Bokhari AA. Cupping Therapy. [Updated 2022 May 8]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-.

[2] Cupping: Back pain, neck pain, types, benefits, treatment. Cleveland Clinic.

[3] Marcin A. What is cupping therapy? Healthline.

[4] Al-Bedah, A., Elsubai, I. S., Qureshi, N. A., Aboushanab, T. S., Ali, G., El-Olemy, A. T., Khalil, A., Khalil, M., & Alqaed, M. S. (2018). The medical perspective of cupping therapy: Effects and mechanisms of action. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine, 9(2), 90–97.

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