CUPPING THERAPY. THE ART OF PAIN.
June 20, 2007 by Jan Shim
© Jan Shim Photography
© Jan Shim Photography
© Jan Shim Photography
Shocking as it may seem, the red marks are not permanent and will fade and eventually disappear in about a week. Caused by an ancient Chinese technique to remove ‘wind’ that is believed to cause the aches in our body, Cupping Therapy is often the method of choice beyond what a traditional massage offers if you prefer to stay away from accupuncture. Here’s an excerpt from a web article about what cupping is and its benefits …
Cupping 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 and can be easily learned and incorporated into your family health practices. Source: internet
In short, cupping brings fresh blood to the area and improves circulation and is widely used for aches and pain relief for reasons described above but is also believed to be used to treat respiratory problems, coughs, wheezing and digestive problems. Obviously, this is a procedure that needs to be administered by professionals who know what they are doing and the consequences that may arise from malpractice.
I’ve had accupuncture as well as cupping and have no preference of one over the other. A traditional Indonesian or Chinese massage works for me in most cases when the pain isn’t too bad and the whole idea is meant to provide relief rather than a fix. Cupping therapy is painful (contrary to what some sites may claim) and if you have a low tolerance for pain I suggest you don’t go there. There are a number of cupping methods, fire cupping being the traditional and most effective method. I’ve only ever tried the fire method and according to interpretation, the darker the color the greater is the presence of toxins or ‘wind.’
Here’s a picture of me several hours after one pretty intense session.
Thats a good post. Informative to us Australians
looks painfull
Greg,
Cupping is so widely practised now I’m certain it’s no longer limited to Chinese practitioners who offer this to their clients. In 2004 celebrity Gwyneth Paltrow caused a stir at a New York film premier in a low cut top that revealed her back covered in what appeared to be bruises but other may have believed them to be kinky love bites
Mikee,
The glass cups that were used on me were large ones and the vacuum created from each of them was, from memory, intense! I have a high tolerance for pain but even so, I was on the edge of screaming to have them removed. It was that unbearable. Would I do it again given the need? You bet.
Do you have more clarity after the cupping? Feel more balanced? Explain it please…
I cannot say that my body is that wired-up to feel the ‘Meridians’ right after a session considering I was overwhelmed with pain to feel much else. Much of the benefits of this practice lies also in the psychology of the whole idea, whether or not you are a believer.
In a world obsessed with cures from pills, traditional or back to basics methods offer what is known as alternative medicine, we have a choice.
Would love to try this…
There is a method of massage I’ve had one session of doing called Rolphing(sp?). Supposed to work wonders and really transform the body.
Cupping doesn’t cure you of anything.
All it does it cause bruising on your skin. There is no evidence at all that it does anything that it claims to do. (apart from hurt)
If you’re a sucker for charlatans and have some money to burn, then by all means give it a go. But don’t expect it to actually *do* anything.
I’m sure you can find a bunch of suggestible wishful thinkers who will regale you with tales about how it made them “feel a lot better” but there is a reason why the FDA doesn’t test new drugs with anecdotal evidence.
Rhys,
Thanks for your comments.
Cupping is typically offered [in addition] to and after an hour-long massage where my wife and I have ours. Personally I cannot comment nor imagine cupping performed on a tense or “problem” body without some amount of prep.
An Australian friend read my post and said he’s never had any kind of therapy for the pains he gets from his long hours in photography and he usually just puts up with the pain that lasts for ‘weeks’. Massages can be addictive once you start so you would have to be disciplined as to how frequent you have to have one.
My right heel developed a throbbing pain that I think was caused by a sports injury and I find great discomfort in long event shoots that require me to move around for hours on end. It’s not difficult to understand that at the end of an exhausting day, you want to drop everything and chill. Problem with aches from my kind of work is you feel the pain only the next day. Adrenalin just temporarily masks until the body has a chance to relax.
Oh my god…i like ur photos nonetheless….but the subject…(faint) this round i have to -1 from the 10 points i give your blogs ahah…
Anyway the benefits of cupping are evident
Your information about cupping being painful is incorrect. The degree of suction required for each person is different and appropriate to their strength. Refer to the website & read an interview with me for ‘the Lantern’ - an international journal of TCM.
Hello Bruce,
Pleasure to hear from you.
I wasn’t suggesting that cupping is in itself a painful procedure but the session I had was indeed painful at the time. While writing my article, I researched several online sites stating that cupping isn’t painful but I have from personal experience found it to be not painless.
Perhaps the amount of pain I felt was a direct relation to how much suction was required given that my body has considerable amount of ‘wind’ and cupping was highly recommended to fix my aches.
Dear readers, there’s a wealth of information on http://healthtraditions.com.au/ should you remain unconvinced about its effectiveness. I’m a photographer and this subject is clearly out of my league and am in no position to suggest what is or isn’t as far as medicine goes.
OMG Whose back is that? I love those repeated patterns
Good Composition!
As for cupping, who wouldn’t come out feeling good after being “cupped”.
OUCH!
Rhys dont get me started on the FDA, they are the left arm and right leg of the pharma industry. A prime example is the approval of the Verichip aka human RFID chip without proper testing , rather passing it through a loophole.
So give me cupping any day over Viox
Hi Jan. I just found your article here on WordPress while doing a little more research for cupping. I just had a cupping session in Taiwan and it wasn’t all that bad. I didn’t find it incredibly painful. I found it uncomfortable. It certainly is not relaxing as some people claim.
Cupping methods vary with each patient and the severity of the problem being treated. Judging from the look of your back, the session must have been pretty intense for that sort of bruising. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with such dark marks.
[...] another inside look into the world of cupping, check out Jan Shim’s blog, Shimworld. Jan writes about his own personal experience with cupping and features some rather [...]
Okay, it is a bit unsightly. But it wasn’t that painful. Only when they heat the affected area, then it’s major ‘owie’
Jan’s photography is so outstanding he could make a murder scene look artistic
… or sadistic depending on taste and perception
[...] in June 2007, I posted an article Cupping Therapy: The Art of Pain that met with some controversy over the question of administration and the pain associated with [...]
whoa those marks are really dark.. kind of like mine when I had a cupping session done 2 days ago. How long does it take for those marks to go away completely? For me, it’s been 2 days and the marks are almost as dark as the first day I’ve seen them…
Healing period varies from person to person and if you are blistered from shoulder to lower back, take a look at them and you’ll see how some fade much quicker than the others. I’ve noticed that even marks that appeared on both sides of the shoulders, one side faded a lot quicker than the other, likely an indication that of the problem area best diagnosed by a qualified practitioner.
We tend to make many assumptions as to why this happens and we’re also quick to associate this slow fade process to a recent pain we may have experienced and draw our own conclusion–we may be correct in our assumption or we may be far from the truth.
Coming back to your question, expect to see the marks for another 2-3 weeks and they may completely disappear towards the end of the third week.
I just had cupping done with a magnet inside the glass. I’ve had cupping done with out magnets in the past. She had the cups on for 25 - 30 minutes. When my masseuse not a registered one and one i’ve been going to for several years removed the cups …she said you’ve got bumps on your skin maybe there toxins…she had never seen them before she said.
I got home and my l/2 my back was covered in round small blisters. It felt like pins and needles. I called my doctor and she saw me immediately. She said she’s seen this type of reaction in the past and was treating it like a burn. My doctor applyed a saline solution and gauze and said to change it daily and apply falamazine (prescription) once a day.
I called the dermatology wound clinic and Womens college hospital today and spoke to a nurse and she said it could also be a staph infection and needs to be treated with antibiotics if it spreads or a contact infection…apparently the practitioner cleaned the cups with a household product called Fantastic and said she rinsed them very well. I was shocked at her stupidity in cleansing her products that go on peoples skin.
Any comments or similar experience….Francie
@ Francine
OMG! I forwarded your comment to some friends and they were shocked especially those living in the States where there’s a recent outbreak of staph infection. One reader who wish to remain anonymous comments …
and another reader, Matt C said ..
Why your masseuse feel there’s a need to use household cleaning detergent to clean the glass jars is beyond me. Depending on the quality of the glass, cleaning them with hot/boiling water, in my opinion, should be more than enough as this method is also hygienic.
Be warned however the brims of the jars can develop anomalies/cracks from storage (they are usually kept together in a basket so the tendency to knock against each other when moved). Make sure the brims are checked for smoothness before use. The place I frequent checks this periodically to ensure they are safe.
Holy smokes! This is the first time I have ever heard of the Cupping Therapy to assist with meridian or energy flow. After reading more comments from people who have received therapy ……it sounds scary….Di
I just had another cupping session that follows acupuncture done three days ago. I have done this many times and definitely feel the difference. I do not have this back pain anymore, but still go for follow-ups. I do agree that the cupping doesn’t hurt as much as it is just uncomfortable. I grew up in Poland and we had cupping performed when we got sick. That is another common use for this procedure.
Being a photographer it is fun to create some crazy pictures with the patterns and designs it makes. Love the photos.
@ Colon Cleanse
Life is about discovery and as long you keep an open mind to possibilities, you may actually discover Cupping Therapy to complement any health rituals you may have. Aside from the artistic marks that eventually disappears, there’s absolutely no harm in giving it a go!
@ Edyta
This is about the only opportunity to photograph body art.
It’s making me get lots of shivering goose bumps!!! I’m whimpering tooooo!!!! EEEEEWWWWWW!!!!!
I receny got a cupping therapy done its definitely painful. I got the treatment done due to a disc bulging in L4-L5. After Cupping therpay I am told to be careful for the next 2 months. I am hoping my pain will go forever.
Jan: Any ideas if this therapy has cured lower back ache issues?
Sam
@ TErra
One [wo]man’s shivering goose bumps is another [wo]man’s cupping marks. I am EEEWWWW-ed (dued) for another if work doesn’t ease off soon. For the first time in weeks, I was able to catch 5 hours of sleep right after lunch not because I could afford the luxury but the body and state of mind needed it badly.
@ Sam
This isn’t a subject I have much experience in dealing with disc bulge but I’ve asked a cupping and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner known here as Drifting Cloud to give her comment about the situation you’re in. As a teenager who was careless with the way I would lift heavy things, I had hurt my lower back many times and once while playing I was walking backwards and rear ended a parked car with a loud thud. There was no long-lasting pain that I could recall but I could have very well shifted the bone alignment. Since then, I’ve always lived with persistent backache for as long as I could remember. That meant I could never sit or stand too long and there were times the pain became excruciating from prolonged sitting due to the nature of IT work.
Then one day I visited an Indonesian masseur and he worked on my lower back and fixed it. You can imagine how happy I was waking up the next morning not feeling the pain that had lingered on for years. That instilled faith in traditional practices that would have otherwise required surgery costing tens of thousands with no guaranteed results. Today, I have a combination of cupping and indonesian massages depending on what’s needed.
Jan,
Thanks for referring me as the cupping and TCM practitioner. Didn’t recall I tell you about that.
Sam,
May I know what do you mean by disc bulging? Do you mean disc prolapsed or some other thing? Have you seen any doctor ( medical doctor or orthopedic doctor) or taken any x-ray to confirm the condition?
Cupping, as I know so far can only treat muscle problem and not bone problem. If the muscle tension is related to the bone, there is 50 - 70% that the pain can be reduced by doing cupping. You will still need some form of manipulation to be done to fix the problem, especially if it is disc prolapsed.
Let assume that your problem is disc prolapsed, then in my opinion, you will need more than just cupping. Cupping will only loosen the tight muscle but your disc will still prolapsed. You will need a manipulation or traction of the spine to bring the disc back to its normal position. So you will need to find someone; a trained or experienced masseur or tuina doctor or physiotherapist or chiropractics to help you with it. As in Jan’s case, he got a Indonesian masseur to help him with it. I would suggest you to go to a professional for it.
If your problem is just muscle sprained on your lower back, then the cupping shall help. But you should go back for regular visit and also to watch out your posture.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we always say, in curing a disease especially when it is related to muscle, 70% is depending on patient’s self awareness, maintenance and concern, 30% will be on the practitioner. So it is the patient’s job to keep himself well and healthy. Posture is especially crucial in prevention of musculo-skeletal diseases.
Jan: Thanks for Referring me to Drifting Cloud.
Drifting Cloud: I had slipped on the stairs due to black ice and has hurt my back. My MRI says disc Bulging in L4-L5 and L5-S1. Now my Sciatica Nerve was also being pinched due to this. I tried several physical therapists and chiropactors for a year with no avail. Finally i got in touch with Cupping Therapy. Currently my pain has reducued considerably but I have been told to be careful for next 2 months after cupping. I have the same problem as Jan ,my back and right leg both start aching after 10-12 minutes of being in the same position. Hence ever 10-12 minutes I try changing position. As you said rightly 70% depends on Me to maintain a healthy posture.
Any Advice is appreciated.
Thanks
Sam
Sam,
Hi there again. The symptoms you mentioned sound like your nerve is being compressed and that is why you feel the pain after being in the same position for certain time.
What type of cupping are you having? Stationary cupping, moving cupping or blood letting cupping? How frequent is your treatment?
Anyway, I had come across few patients of mine having the similar problem. May be more serious as 1 - 2 of them need to take pain killer constantly. What I did ( to relieve their pain ) was that I combined the moving cupping and electro-acupuncture as well as electro-tuina to help in relieving the tension on the muscle and that reduced the pain after the 3rd - 5th treatment depending on the severity of the condition. But treatment was done on daily to alternate days basis. Normally by 8th treatment, pain shall be gone and maintenance would be depending on individual.
Normally cupping is not advisable to be used alone in TCM, we normally used it as an addition treatment for acupuncture or tuina.
So for that, I think you can try acupuncture or tuina for better relieve of the pain. ^^
Drifting Cloud
I dont know the type of cupping but I had to lie on my tummy and then after cupping I was told not to move for 20 mins and then It was released.
I have finished the entire treatment. I am much better currently but again I am told to be careful for next 2 months watch my movements and actions. I sit for long hours at work and have been told to take breaks every 10-12minutes. I also have been adviced not to take any type of painkillers unless the nature of pain is extreme.Now I dont know if I would need more cupping or anything else.
During the day I am fine but by evening the pain aggrevates. I would then lie down for 30mins and then I am fine again.
I just hope this is not lifelong pain. I am hoping this cupping cures this permanently. Else I am open other options (as suggested by you, Tuina)
Thanks, Sam
Sam,
After reading your message, I am quite sure that your problem is not fully treated yet. You will still need to go for more treatment. I guess what you had was just stationary cupping which will leave you with those mark as shown in JAN’s picture above.
Stationary cupping only help to reduce the tension of your muscle but not really treating your disc problem yet. I would advise that you go to a qualified TCM Acupuncturist or Tuina practitioner for more intensive treatment. My personal opinion is that Tuina will be much more better as manipulation of the spine can be done to restore the position of the disc if the problem is not serious.
Like JAN, my patients can get relieved of the pain after the desire number of treatments. Since you still have the pain now, I would suggest you to continue getting some more treatment. I don’t know where you are from so I can’t suggest who you should go to for the professional treatment.
For the mean time, just be careful with your sitting posture as well as DO NOT turn to one side abruptly.
Take care.
Well I too had the same marks like JAN and they vanished within a few days. My MRI says Disc Bulging but the Orthosurgeon said this type of bulging is very common with most IT people. Well after a few months of Physical Therapy I had nerve pinching and that when I was introduced to Cupping therapy… and I was in the impression that this will cure 100% as I was told. The Therapist I got treated through also said that the pain will persist and will go within 2 months only if I would watch my actions.Well nevertheless its good I got in touch with this website. I live in NJ, USA. Do you know of any therapists here I could visit.
Thank you for all your help.
Sam
Sam,
I began my career in IT which lasted 13 years during which I experienced all sorts of pain both physical and psychological. Physical pain being the gnawing pain I had down my lower back and psychological pain that comes with the job. If the disc bulging is a common IT work hazard as your Orthosurgeon said (hopefully not a a condition that may be more than work hazard).
I’m fortunate to have found a masseur who was patient and knew what he was doing fix my back. It helps also to have a good mattress since we spend a great deal of time tossing and turning for a good 8 hours or so. It’s also during this time that we have no control over our sleeping positions and more often than not, these positions do not do our back any favours. One way to minimise this is to hug a big bolster to sleep—ask any moms they would know just how painful their back pains got when their pregnancy was in the third trimester. Not only does a bolster help align your back, it’s also comfortable.
CAUTION: Hugging your loved one is not a substitute!
Note: I am no longer in IT and have moved on to a more exciting journey in freelance professional photography. It’s exciting not only for the art in photography but for the difference I can make to someone’s life. Read Full Post »
Sam,
Without actual examinations on you I can just guess about your condition. I hope that it is just slightly bulging at your spine and that the cupping can help to reduce the muscle tension at your lower back. But I am really not sure if it will take two months to heal.
As for what I encounter, the pain shall go with the treatment. Anyway, if the pain is much reduced now and that you are happy with it. Then just continue with the care of your posture as well as get yourself a good mattress (as mentioned by JAN).
Do try to search for TUINA in future if that pain still not subside. I am sorry to say that I have no idea who I can recommend to you at this time as I have no contact in the USA.
Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Shanghai I may still be able to find someone to help you with it.
Am so sorry for that.
Do take care.
Thank you all for the wonderul tips/advice.
I will def folllow them.
Will keep you all posted.
Sam
Sam,
You are most welcomed!
Hope to hear good news from you in the next two months.
Take care!
[...] Plug: This post is officially my 200th article since November 3, 2006 (pats himself on the cupped back!). On with the writing [...]