Cupping
Discover how cupping therapy works and why it has been used for centuries to help relieve muscle tension, improve circulation, support recovery, and promote overall wellness. In this video, Dr. Lea Kelley explains what to expect during a cupping therapy session and how this traditional Chinese medicine technique is integrated with acupuncture and holistic care for personalized treatment in Manhattan Beach and the South Bay.
What is Cupping
Accourding to Chinese Medicine, Cupping is a tradtitional therapy that uses a suction to move Qi and blood, eliminate stagnation, and expel external pathogens.
Core Concepts in Chinese Medicine
Moving Qi and Blood: Suction pulls blood and energy to the surface, breaking up blockages that cause pain.
Expelling Pathogens: It draws out external influences like wind, cold, and dampness trapped in the muscles.
Opening Meridians: It clears the body's energy channels to restore a smooth, balanced flow (yin and yang).
Common Techniques
Fire Cupping: A flame warms a glass cup to create a vacuum before placing it on the skin.
Dry Cupping: Cups stay in one place for 5 to 15 minutes.
Moving Cupping: Oil is applied so cups can glide across tight areas like the back
The ancient art of cupping is a multi-cultural technique, utilized by healers and lay-people for thousands of years. It is a suction technique using glass or plastic “cups” on the skin and can be used on multiple body sites.
The suction pulls toxin build-up and muscle spasm out of the deeper tissue of the body, towards the surface of the body (skin). This makes it easier for the body to eliminate these toxins as they pass through the superficial blood supply or capillary (vascular) system.
It is ideal for the body’s cells to use oxygen and give off carbon dioxide and cell waste. When the energy is blocked, the cell waste and carbon dioxide get “stuck” and can be referred to also as acid and/or toxin build up. We feel the blockage as “pain,” tenderness, discomfort…and the list goes on. An area that has more blockage or pain is a physiologic obstruction in the flow of energy. The more blockage, the harder it is for the body to remove the obstruction and discomfort.
Muscles and joint pain is a common complaint from toxin build-up.
Cupping ALSO brings fresh new blood into that blocked area, more oxygen and restored energy flow. The effects can be felt immediately!
The procedure lasts about 10 minutes.
Common uses for cupping:
Muscle Pain
Joint Pain
Headaches
Hives/Urticaria
Menstrual pain
Post-injury or trauma
Boosts immunity
Boosts Energy
Local area detox
When done soon enough, cupping can prevent the common cold from taking hold
Disclaimer: This information is in no way intended to be a substitute for modern medical care. Do not self-treat any medical complaint without the guidance of a licensed health care provider.
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.
The age-old technique had been rediscovered in the twentieth century. Today, small vessels made of glass, metal or wood are warmed, and the vessel opening is placed against specific skin zones - reflex zones - usually on the back, abdomen or legs. Stimulating these zones by drawing blood flow to them in turn stimulates the tissues and internal organs to which the zones are believed to correspond. Also, the cups create minor bruising; this triggers the immune system, which must respond to the "injury." Thus, localized blood-flow stimulation.
Not sure if you can benefit from cupping?
Dr. Lea Kelley can determine when cupping can be of optimal benefit to you and how frequently it can be used. It is not recommended during pregnancy, for those with bleeding disorders, or those with nerve sensory deficit such as diabetic neuropathy. Cannot be used on broken skin, open wounds or directly over skin lesions such as eczema, psoriasis and more.
Use with caution or ask your doctor:
Anemia.
If you have a pacemaker.
Bleeding disorders like hemophilia.
Blood clotting problems, like deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or a history of strokes.
Cardiovascular disease.
Seizures (epilepsy).