Science Elucidates 5 Phenomena That Occur In Your Body When You Undergo Cupping Therapy

Learning about the health benefits of cupping might alter your perception of it as an antiquated and brutal medical practice, to the point where you might consider trying it yourself. 

Medieval medical practices often bring to mind leeches or cupping scenes in historical films, where a doctor places a flame under a glass jar before applying it to a patient's back, creating a vacuum that draws the skin into the jar.

Cupping's methodology appears at odds with modern medical principles, making its health benefits seem implausible. However, contemporary medicine has validated that this time-honored technique can indeed aid in healing.

Cupping comes in various forms and is rooted in the Traditional Chinese Medicine practice of acupressure, known for its therapeutic benefits. This article will explore the advantages of cupping, supported by scientific evidence, and will describe the available therapy options.

5 WAYS CUPPING CAN ENHANCE YOUR HEALTH

Cupping should never be attempted at home due to the risks of injury, infection, or unintended negative effects. The International Cupping Therapy Association (ICTA) provides a global directory of certified therapists who apply their extensive knowledge of anatomy and physiology to enhance your health. A worldwide practitioner can be located via their website link.

Wet cupping therapy includes making minor incisions on the skin along with the suction that dry cupping provides. Both methods aim to boost health, but wet cupping has been the subject of most research. This practice, rooted in traditional Asian and Arabic medicine, has been around for millennia.

Cupping involves creating negative pressure on the skin's surface through suction. According to the ICTA, cupping can benefit those suffering from various physical and mental conditions, such as the common cold, flu, depression, arthritis, anxiety, sciatica, digestive issues, muscle pain, and even cellulite and stretch marks.

The ICTA cites the following health benefits of cupping:

• Stimulates deep tissue
• Reduces inflammation
• Enhances lymphatic fluid flow to boost the immune system
• Increases blood supply to the skin
• Expands muscle and connective tissue
• Promotes circulation
• Softens scar tissue adhesions
• Activates the flow of Qi energy

PROVEN BENEFITS OF CUPPING THERAPY:

1. Enhancing Immune System Function

A review of an ancient wet cupping technique known as Al-hijamah, conducted by Egyptian and Saudi Arabian researchers, suggests that this therapy could be a promising method for boosting the human body's immunity. It may enhance the effects of modern drugs and cleanse the blood of substances that contribute to the development of various diseases. 

The study indicated that when combined with conventional drug treatments, cupping therapy could increase immune system function by 156%. Without drug therapy, it boosted the natural killer cell response of the immune system by 133%.

2. Alleviating Chronic Pain

The same study also discovered that cupping therapy could reduce the intensity of chronic pain reported by patients. After one month of cupping treatment, patients reported a nearly 34% reduction in pain, which further decreased to 40% after two months and 59% after three months. 

These findings were particularly noted in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, and the benefits are thought to extend to other chronic pain conditions as well.

3. Improving Defenses Against Viral and Bacterial Illnesses

Cupping therapy may also offer improvements for various health issues such as herpes, influenza, viral hepatitis, acne, dermatitis, and cellulitis. The treatment's health benefits are multifaceted, affecting several bodily systems simultaneously. 

For instance, it can trigger the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins in the neurological system. In the immune system, the skin irritation caused by cupping can activate immune functions, leading to an increase in interferons, tumor necrotizing factor, and lymphatic fluid flow.

4. Decreasing Cardiovascular Disease Rates

The Egyptian-Arabian study reported that cupping therapy reduced instances of systolic hypertension, heart failure, vascular leg blood clots, myocardial ischemia and arrhythmia, and even myocardial infarction or heart attacks.

5. DECREASED HEADACHES

Headaches and migraines can be so debilitating that they cause people to miss work and incur financial losses. Chronic headaches can also prevent people from enjoying social activities and hobbies. Fortunately, cupping has been shown to improve the health of individuals suffering from headache pain.

A collaborative study by Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in Iran and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA, investigated wet cupping therapy as a treatment for headaches. The study found that patients who underwent the therapy three times over a 28-day period experienced a 66% reduction in headache severity. 

Additionally, these patients had 12.6 fewer days of headaches per month. The study concluded that wet cupping provides clinically significant benefits for primary care patients with headaches.

Source: powerofpositivity.com