Cupping (a manipulative and body-based practice Manipulative and Body-Based Practices Five categories of complementary or alternative medicine are generally recognized: Whole medical systems Mind-body medicine Biologically based practices not usually used in conventional medicine... read more ) is used in traditional Chinese medicine References Cupping (a manipulative and body-based practice) is used in traditional Chinese medicine. Cupping is believed to increase blood flow to the site of application, thereby improving healing in... read more . Cupping is believed to increase blood flow to the site of application, thereby improving healing in that area.
The air inside a cup is heated, often using a rubber pump in modern practice. The heated cup is immediately inverted and placed on the skin. The resulting vacuum sucks the skin partway into the cup, which may be left in place for several minutes.
Cupping can help reduce neck and low back musculoskeletal pain (1 References Cupping (a manipulative and body-based practice) is used in traditional Chinese medicine. Cupping is believed to increase blood flow to the site of application, thereby improving healing in... read more ). Cupping has been used in combination with acupuncture Acupuncture Acupuncture, a therapy within traditional Chinese medicine, is one of the most widely accepted components of integrative therapies in the western world. Specific points on the body are stimulated... read more and moxibustion Moxibustion Moxibustion (a manipulative and body-based practice) is a therapy within traditional Chinese medicine ( 1). Dried moxa herb (a mugwort) is burned usually just above but sometimes directly on... read more to treat postherpetic neuralgia (2 References Cupping (a manipulative and body-based practice) is used in traditional Chinese medicine. Cupping is believed to increase blood flow to the site of application, thereby improving healing in... read more ). Cupping has also been used in metabolic syndrome, facial paralysis, acne, and respiratory symptoms, but evidence is limited (3 References Cupping (a manipulative and body-based practice) is used in traditional Chinese medicine. Cupping is believed to increase blood flow to the site of application, thereby improving healing in... read more ).
Cupping will redden and may burn the skin.
(See also Overview of Integrative, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine Overview of Integrative, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine Integrative medicine and health (IMH) and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) include healing approaches and therapies that historically have not been included in conventional, mainstream... read more .)
References
1. Wood S, Fryer G, Tan LLF, Cleary C: Dry cupping for musculoskeletal pain and range of motion: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Bodyw Mov Ther 24(4):503-518, 2020. doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2020.06.024
2. Zhou Q, Wei S, Zhu H, et al: Acupuncture and moxibustion combined with cupping for the treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia: A meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 100(31):e26785, 2021. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000026785
3. Cramer H, Klose P, Teut M, et al: Cupping for patients with chronic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Pain 21(9-10):943-956, 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2020.01.002