cupping therapy

    
Cupping is an extraordinary technique that has been passed down for thousands of years and continues to be widely used across many cultures by both professionals and lay people alike. I have had patients from Poland and Russia tell me stories of their grandmothers using the therapy when they were sick. I became particularly excited to see it being used in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

When toxins or cell waste stagnate in the muscles or joints, the body has a difficult time with waste disposal and we often experience this as discomfort or pain.

This kind of stagnation can occur for any number of reasons; injuries that never fully healed may create scar tissue and poor circulation in a localized area which creates site specific pain. You can expect some dramatic colors to appear with coloring if:

• the issue is chronic
• there is a history of either recreational or prescription drug use
• you are eating more animal protein than your body can adequately tackle
• candida or other parasite infection is present
• you're being exposed to environmental toxins such as black mold
• you've gone through a particularly traumatic emotional event
• you're in a period of life where you're feeling particularly "stuck" 

When our liver or kidneys aren't able to process these insults to the system and excrete them correctly, the toxins are put into storage to be managed at a later time - and they're usually housed in the muscle layer. The vacuum action of cupping rapidly facilitates the release of rigid soft tissues, stimulates the peripheral nervous system, loosens and lifts connective tissues, breaks up and drains stagnation. It also increases blood and lymph flow to skin, muscles, and connective tissues. It does all of these things far more rapidly and effectively than any other type of therapy, including acupuncture, massage, chiropractic adjustments, medications or even surgery.
Cupping draws stagnant blood and other fluids that has fallen out of healthy circulation up to skin the level and away from the injury so that healthy free circulation can be restored to the affected area. Being that skin is the body's largest organ, it contains about 20% of your blood volume at any given time. The skin has a beautiful network of capillaries that make it a fantastic vehicle to transport all the stagnation that cupping pulls up into it. Cupping creates a space for oxygen, living cells, and nutrients needed for healing. The body’s capillary system at the skin level carries the toxins to the liver and kidneys, where they can be metabolized and excreted.