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.
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