History and Development of Cupping Therapy

Cupping therapy is an ancient method dating back to the ancient Egyptians in 1550 BC. The use of suction cups also has its origins in traditional Asian medicine dating back thousands of years ago. 

Cupping is described as a detoxification process by which waste matter and toxins are removed, and as a harmonisation process for the imbalance of Qi, a traditional Chinese medicine term for ‘vital energy’. 

The therapy is favored by millions of people throughout the world for its safe, comfortable, and considered an effective form of treatment for muscular tension and disorders. 

This form of therapy is steadily growing in popularity in 'Western medicine'', especially after viewers see athletes receive this form of treatment in the 2016 Olympic games alongside A-lister celebrities. 

The use of cups lifts and stretches the underlying muscle and fascia, thus creating a pulling effect, away from the bone with the aim to help lengthen and release the tissue. The overall idea of dry cupping is to assist in relieving joint pain, improve joint range of motion, encourage faster muscle recovery, and improve physical well-being. 

Method of Cupping Therapy

Massage oil is applied to the skin prior to the cups being placed, which allows the cups to glide easily over the surface of the skin. At the St Albans Therapy Clinic glass cups are placed over trigger points or an area of muscle that is considered tight. A flame is used to remove air and create a vacuum negative pressure via suction. When fire or flame is used, the longer the exposure, the greater the negative pressure (suction) created. Suction leads to the bulging or drawing up of skin, fascia, and muscle into the cup. 

Cupping Marks

Contrary to popular belief, markings left by cupping are not bruises and do not hurt. A bruise indicates trauma and is tender to touch, by definition, a bruise occurs “as a result of a blow that does not break the skin” (Lackie, 2010). In cupping therapy, there is no trauma caused by the solid rim of a cup.

The red circular marks that can be viewed in the picture (to the left) are instead caused over time as increased vascular pressure in the vessels can cause rupture of capillaries with resultant purpura or ecchymosis (skin discoloration) developing within the area of the cup.

On many occasions cupping produces no markings, even when a robust volume of negative pressure (vacuum) is within the cup. Cupping marks are otherwise caused by suction and work by bringing toxins to the surface of the skin. The eccchymosis resolves and the red markings dissappear slowly over following days.

Local Effect of Cupping Therapy

The immediate direct effects of suction on an area is an increase in local blood and lymphatic flow which can be beneficial for local myofascial pain. It is thought that localized result of ecchymosis from cupping therapy can have an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antinociceptive effect in the local tissue, resulting in an eventual decrease in any local inflammation, and an increase in angiogenesis as well as a decrease in local pain. This could lead to shorter healing times for sprains, strains, or wounds depending on the locale and timing of the cupping.

Research

Although cupping therapy has been practised by thousands of practitioners all over the world for so many years, it is remarkable that the rationale for the use of cupping is still not yet fully understood and the clincial evidence for the therapy is limited.

The low quality evidence currently available does suggest that cupping therapy may be of benefit for certain arthritic conditions. A literature review by Kim et al., (2018) found a low level of evidence to suggest that cupping therapy might be able to help reduce neck pain.   

References

1. Kim S, Lee S-H, Kim M-R, et al. Is cupping therapy effective in patients with neck pain? A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open 2018;8:e021070. doi:10.1136/ bmjopen-2017-021070.
2. Lackie, John (2010) A Dictionary of Biomedicine. Oxford University Press. Published Online: Oxford Reference 2010. Accessed 1/2/2015.
3. Lowe, D. T. (2017) Cupping therapy: An analysis of the effects of suction on skin and the possible influence on human health, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, Research Gate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319705129_Cupping_therapy_An_analysis_of_the_effects_of_suction_on_skin_and_the_possible_influence_on_human_health [online] Last visited 21/01/2022.