Iowa City Acupuncture   •   Cupping Technique

At your visit we may suggest that cupping is the best treatment for your condition. We most often do this at the end of your acupuncture treatment.

The purpose of cupping is to increase blood flow in the problem tissue, and to stretch the underlying muscle and connective tissue, and help clear waste material from the tissue by stimulating lymph and blood flow. The end result is pain relief and increased flexibility in the area treated. In this procedure, glass or plastic “cups” are attached to the body, most often the back or neck. Either a suction pump or a flame quickly withdrawn from the cup will provide the suction. The patient will feel a mild suction while the cups are left in place for 5 to 15 minutes. Often massage oil will be used to lubricate the skin before placing the cups. In some cases the cups are moved back and forth in a type of massage called “moving" or "sliding" cups. After cupping there may be a mark appearing on the back which can vary from either a simple ring-shaped depression from the edge of the cup, to a raspberry or ‘hickie’, to a circular purple bruise, depending on the health of the underlying tissue. Many patients request cupping because it is so effective. There is virtually no risk to the patient in cupping. Some practitioners also use Gua Sha instead of cupping.

For more information on how Gwynith got her spots, visit: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/3879447.stm .

And for more information on cupping go to www.geocities.com/altmedd/cupping.htm