Traditional Chinese Medicine ("TCM") is an integral part of Chinese culture. It has made great contributions to the prosperity of China.

Today both of TCM and western medicine are being used in providing medical and health services in China. TCM, with its unique diagnostic methods, systematic approach, abundant historical literature and materials, has attracted many attentions from the international community. TCM is well recognized for its remarkable effectiveness in off setting the side effect caused by the toxic and chemical treatment of cancer cases in the western medical system.

In China, TCM is under the administration of State Administration of TCM and Pharmacology. TCM and its development are regulated. National strategies, law and regulations governing TCM are now in place to guide and promote the research and development in this promising industry.

TCM is defined as a medical science governing the theory and practice of traditional Chinese medicine. It includes Chinese medication, pharmacology/herbalogy, acupuncture, massage and Qigong.

Hospitals in China are classified as specialized in western medical system, TCM or both. TCM is now available to 75% of the areas in China. TCM has been very effective in the treatment of diseases such as cardio-cerebro-vascular, immunogenic, tumors, bone fracture, etc. Scientific research and clinic experiments in TCM are continuously progressing. Successes have been made in many of the areas such as in circulating paths of meridians; in Zheng-syndrome, in diagnostic indexes; in therapeutic principles, in healing emergency patients with shock, acute DIC, acute myocardial infarction and acute renal failure. For treatment of bone fracture, method is adopted based on the theory of combination of mobilization and immobilization.

Non-antibacterial compound prescriptions are used successfully in treatment of bacterial infection. In treatment of cancers, Fuzheng Guben compound prescriptions, though devoid of inhibitory effects on cancer cells, could cause the shrink of the mass of cancer. TCM provides a non-surgical approach to the treatment of acute abdomen.

Chinese Cupping helps soften long standing muscle tightness and adhesions. Cupping helps loosen tight muscles where other massage techniques or even myofascial release have not been enough. This method can help with treatment of chronic injuries, which respond to treatment, but come back.

When used to treat the neck and shoulders or lower back, Andrew tends to have the patient do gentle exercises whilst the cups are on to release muscle tightness. Chinese Cupping or spooning can also bring blood back into an area which has become dry or stagnant, such as occurs with tennis elbow. If bruising occurs (as above) this is usually a good sign that the treatment will be effective.

Is this a treatment? You must be kidding!

Cupping is an ancient Chinese modality, where glass or bamboo cups are applied to the skin through vacuum to create localized stimulation of circulation. The partial vacuum within the cup is created by hear or suction. The instrument is immediately placed o­n the skin in the desired location and creates a suctioning effect o­n the skin. This has the effect of drawing up the underlying tissues. When the cup is left in place like this, the stimulated circulation helps the healing process.

Cupping therapy has been further developed to unblock the meridian systems of the body. There are some five meridians o­n the back of the body that, when unblocked can deliver invigorating energy across the entire span of the body. Research has shown that cupping is most effective in achieving this result. Further research has shown that cupping has deep tissue effects, often effecting as deep as up to four inches into the body, stimulating deep tissue to release stagnant toxins and metabolic byproducts into the peripheral lymphatic circulation for disposal, help activate and clear venous system, and even clear intestinal blockages. For this reason, cupping is considered as o­ne of the best deep tissue massages.

Cupping Therapy In Detail

Cupping is an ancient technique of applying heated vessels to the skin. Believed to cure internal disorders, it was commonly used by the indigenous peoples of the Americas and Africa, as well as by traditional Asian healers. The Chinese applied hollowed-out animal horns to the skin sucked the air out of the horn and then blocked the opening with o­ne finger. Cupping is an important component of traditional Chinese medicine. It is an ancient Chinese method of causing local congestion. A partial vacuum is created in cups placed o­n the skin either by means of heat or suction. This draws up the underlying tissues. When the cup is left in place o­n the skin for a few minutes, blood stasis is formed and localized healing takes place.

Cupping therapy has been further developed as a means to open the 'Meridians' of the body. Meridians are the conduits in the body through which energy flows to every part of the body and through every organ and tissue. There are five meridians o­n the back that, when opened, allow invigorating energy to travel the whole length of the body. It has been found that cupping is probably the best way of opening those meridians.

Cupping has also been found to affect the body up to four inches into the tissues, causing tissues to release toxins, activate the lymphatic system, clear colon blockages, help activate and clear the veins, arteries and capillaries, activate the skin, clear stretch marks and improve varicose veins. Cupping is the best deep tissue massage available. Cupping, the technique, is very useful and very safe, being free from side effects and can be easily learned and incorporated into your family health practices.

In recent years, with scientific and technological development, cupping therapy, having been rapidly developed from basic theory to clinical practice, has become an improved independent potential branch of medicine. At present more and more people are found of using this traditional simple method for healing and keeping fit.

Cupping Glasses

Cupping glasses are bell shaped with openings about 1 – 2 inches across. Before applying to the skin, the therapist dips a burning cotton ball in alcohol and briefly holds it in the cupping glass. When the glass is applied to the skin, the warmed air inside quickly cools and contracts, creating a vacuum that causes the glass to adhere to the skin by suction. In bloody cupping, the skin is scratched with a sterilized lancet before the cups are applied.

The Treatment

The therapist palpates the patient's back to find any hardening or swelling, and then applies up to 12 cupping glasses to those places. Cupping is usually done to the left and right of the spine, but painful joints or muscle hardening in other parts of the body, such as the abdomen or the legs, can also be treated with cupping. The cupping glasses remain o­n the skin for 10-15 minutes. Health insurance plans do not cover the cost of cupping treatment.

The Effect

Cupping draws blood to the surface area of the body where the cups are applied. This increase blood flow relieves muscle cramping, hardening of tissue and associated pain. Because specific reflex zones o­n the back, abdomen and legs correspond to organs, cupping can be used to promote the workings of, say, the kidneys, gallbladder, liver or lungs.

Cupping can also mobilize the immune system. the treatment creates temporary, localized bruises, which - like all bruises - activate the body's defensive cells to heal the bruised area. Dry cupping is primarily used for people with a weak constitution and low blood pressure; it is never for patients with high blood pressure. Bloody cupping helps clear the body of accumulated irritants that cause inflammation.

Methods of Administration

Dry or bloody cupping - If body areas are hardened and have poor circulation, the therapist will choose dry cupping, in order to attract blood flow to those areas. Circular bruises will usually result in such cases, but they will heal within a week. If the problem areas are swollen with excessive blood flow, the therapist will choose bloody cupping. Under certain circumstances in bloody cupping, the therapist will repeat cupping in the same place, applying a new glass several times in succession until all the accumulated blood has been removed.

Using acupuncture meridians - A therapist sometimes applies the principles of acupuncture to achieve an overall strengthening of the body. According to these principles, the bladder meridian runs about 1¨ö inch to the side of the spine. Located o­n it are the influence points for all internal organs, and cupping can stimulate these points. This stimulation can also help anemic patients.

The cupping massage - In this special form of cupping, the patient's back is rubbed with a special salve that promotes blood flow and makes the skin conductive. The therapist then pulls a large massage cupping glass with a very rounded edge across the back with slow, even movements.

Suction Cupping

Suction Cupping has been adopted the advantage of traditional cups and avoided the weakness of conventional cups. The cups are transparent so that the change of the skin and bleeding within the cup is easily observable, and duration of cupping is well controlled. In the application as fire is not used there is no fear of burning the skin, the negative pressure inside the cup is controllable based o­n the patient condition and constitution. The Suction Cupping appliance, hardly breakable, conveniently and safely applicable, is suitable for both hospital and family use.

Therapeutic Mechanism of Cupping Appliance

The theories of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) thinks that human body is a organism, the five parenchymatous viscera and six hollow viscera of the body, four limbs and every bones of the body, the five sense organs and the nine orifices, though each part of the body have a different physiologic function, but regulate activities of the body together, and make internal and external of the body keep the coordinating function of unifying, and form o­ne organism, this effective combination is mainly related to each other by channels, in the mean time, this is a passage of the flow of Qi and the blood, Qi and the blood is vital substances of making up the body and maintaining the activities of life. The each tissue organs of the body all need nourishing and miniaturization of qi and the blood and maintain the normal physiology activities, because Qi and the blood pass the whole body, and nourish tissues organs, and give play to the power to resist pathogenic factors and defending by needing transmission of the channels.

"The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine” said: "The channel can transport qi and the blood, Nourish Yin and Yang nature facilitate the bone tendons and joints." This is functional summary for the channel. A person have illness by resulting in pathogenic factor, wind, cold, summer, damp, dryness, fire, the functional disorder of Zhang-Fu-Qi and the blood of the channels, at the same time, the disease of the body have a lot to do with the genuine energy. "Plain questions section" said: "When the healthy energy exists fully inside the body, the evil can interrupt." The deficiency of vital qi of the body appears all kinds of pathogenic manifestations, the obstruction of qi and the blood under effecting pathogenic factor, the transportation obstruction of the channels.

Suction Cupping Appliance treat and build up constitution with treatment mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine qi and the blood, channel, blood stasis of the skin is caused through the local stimulation,Transport and bi-directional regulation of the meridians, replenish the vital qi, expel the evil of internal body, wind, cold, damp, heat, toxin, the genesis and transformation of the disease have a lot to do with the channels, if the normal function of the channels disorder, it's easy to suffer the exopathogen invading for human body, transformation of the channels from the surface of the body to the internal body, from superficial skin to deep layer (skin). Besides the channels have a definite circulation position and pertaining relations between Zang-organs and Fu-organs, the disease of internal organs, and always reveals o­n the definite location o­n the body through the channels, and also response in the channels circulation passage or o­n some channel points of the gathering channel qi.

Suction Cupping Appliance have strengthening body resistance, eliminating pathogenic factors so that the body is prevented from a falling ill and a health is maintained and is a according to a channel or a disease of a Zhang‑Fu and select points o­n nearby location of the pathologic changes or the location of the feeling transport along the channel and regulate function of the channel qi and the blood through cupping, thus, can treat the disease and strengthen the body health without a disease.