What We Treat

A Case Of Severe Dizziness – Cupping To The Rescue

Cupping Case Study

Recently I had a patient a patient come into the office in Mamaroneck with upper back tightness, headache and severe dizziness. A few months prior she was coming in for acupuncture and bodywork to help to alleviate her symptoms of depression and improve her sleep. Acupuncture and bodywork were very helpful for those symptoms but when she came in this time she was suffering from new symptoms and dizziness was the most bothersome. Usually acupuncture and body work do wonders for these symptoms but for this session the patient left feeling more relaxed, but the dizziness persisted. When feeling around her neck I found a lot of restrictions in her upper neck and decided to apply cupping. We did an intense cupping session lasting about 20-30 minutes and afterwards her dizziness was 90% better. Acupuncture and bodywork are usually my go to treatment for most patient visits but when they do not give the result the patient is looking for, I often will look for other treatments to help. In this case cupping was the key. Cupping alone helped this patient recover from her dizziness.

What is cupping?

Cupping is a cross-cultural technique that has been used all over the world by various cultures throughout history. Cupping is a therapeutic technique that creates suction on the skin to help to extract toxins and relieve muscle tension from deeper tissues. The body’s cells use oxygen and release carbon dioxide, but when circulation is blocked, waste can accumulate, causing discomfort. This can include pain, stiffness, numbness, etc.

Physical pain signals a disruption in circulation of blood, fluids and energy flow. When toxins are trapped in muscles or joints, the body struggles to eliminate them, leading to further blockage. Cupping uses vacuum suction to draw these blockages to the skin’s surface, making it easier for the body to remove them through the blood supply. As these blockages move you will see coloring of the skin. For mild blockages in circulation the marks will be pink to light red. For more serious blockages the color can vary from dark red to purple to even black. The darker the color of marking the stronger and more chronic the blockage. The good news is that the darker the blockage the better your symptoms should feel after the treatment. This is usually the case but not always. The marks disappear in 2-7 days.

In just ten minutes, cupping can eliminate toxins from targeted areas and promote fresh blood flow, revitalizing the tissue and restoring circulation. Cupping can reduce the overall number of treatments needed for various health conditions. For many chronic pain conditions, it can often reduce the recovery time by half.

Is cupping painful?

The cupping sensation can be sometimes be uncomfortable l for the first sixty seconds, the time during which most of the toxins are removed. It is helpful to try to relax into the process of being cupped, and to acknowledge and tolerate the discomfort. It will be worth it.

What can cupping help with?

Respiratory Conditions: Cough, colds, asthma, COPD, bronchitis, wheezing pneumonia, poor immunity, other chronic and acute respiratory conditions.
Pain Conditions: Joint pain, fibromyalgia, back pain, neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, stiffness, numbness, jaw pain, TMJ, sciatica etc.
Skin Conditions: eczema, itching, hives, etc.

Cupping can also be helpful for digestive, urinary and reproductive issues that are related to muscle tension and tightness. Cupping also does wonders for muscle tension and tightness caused by stress. It is also helpful for some neurological cases including some forms of dizziness.

Back to my patient. Here are some pictures from her treatment. She felt much bette after the treatment. Once the cups went on I could see the dark dark red and purple markings quickly show up. I had high hopes for her to feel better. The treatment was not painful and she is still doing great.

If you have any questions about acupuncture and Chinese medicine and would like to see if the treatments at the office in Mamaroneck would be a good fit for you feel free to call (914) 772-4044. If you would like to book your first appointment please click the button below.

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Eczema and Psoriasis: Chinese Medicine To The Rescue

Chinese Medicine is not just acupuncture

Aside from acupuncture I offer internal and external herbal treatments. This post is about an external herbal product I have had great success with. This product is very helpful for a wide range of skin issues. I only sell or share information on products that I have found to be helpful with family, friends and clients. The product I will share is one that has blown me away. It is made with mild herbal substances that are safe enough to apply to babies.

Do you suffer from any of these skin conditions:

Dry -type eczema
Flaking dry psoriasis
Cracked hands and cuticles
Dry cracked heels
Ashy skin
Dry, red, itchy rashes
Hands rough from overuse
General Moisturizing
Diaper Rash
Drool Rash
Winter Dryness

If you do this post should be helpful.

Illness and disease can be looked at as a learning experience

We are all human and my health is not perfect. I strive to take care of myself the best I can with diet, lifestyle and exercise but I also fall victim to various health ailments from time to time. I try not to stress and I do my best to figure out how to improve my health on my own. It may sound crazy but I find it exciting. There is no better feedback than trial and error on yourself. I get a better look at what works and what does not and also have a clearer idea on how to apply different treatments.

My recent skin troubles

Recently I suffered a terrible rash. It was very itchy, warm and red. Both my legs to started swell.

The rash spread out over both my legs. My wife was pushing me to seek out treatment but I decided to figure it out by myself. I have successfully treated various skin conditions in the past. Eczema, rashes, psoraisis, etc. Usually the best combination is internal herbal medicine coupled with dietary adjustments. For myself I wanted to try out a product which I have suggested to many patients in the past but had not experienced myself. The product is called Emily Skin Soothers. Emily Skin Soothers was created by an acupuncturist to treat his newborn babies eczema. When he applied it to his child the eczema slowly disappeared. My son also had eczema when he was about 6 months old. We were not able to get him to take Chinese herbal medicine internally. We decided to apply Emily Skin Soothers and it worked like magic. Nothing else seemed to work with him. The itching and redness just slowly disappeared.

So back to my story. Emily skin soothers has a line of products. I used the preparation that was specific for red, hot skin. As soon as it touched my skin the itching disappeared. I applied the product 4 times a day for a week and it slowly disappeared. It is now two weeks later and my skin is pretty much back to normal. I have seen this product work so well for my patients, myself and my family that I am now carrying it in my acupuncture office in Mamaroneck.

Pictures of the magic at work

My skin before applying treatment.	My skin after applying treatment for 1 week.
My skin before applying treatment.	My skin after applying treatment for 1 week.

I do not claim and the Emily Skin Soothers company do not claim to have a cure for eczema or psoraisis or anything for that matter. It has been their experience and my experience that these products are very soothing to various skin issues.

I am currently carrying the Emily Skin Soothers line of products in my acupuncture office in Mamaroneck. Pick some up at your next visit for yourself, friends or family.

Ira Wahrman L.Ac

Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine