I use cupping, it’s an ancient form of alternative
medicine in which a doctor puts special cups on
your skin for a few minutes to create suction.
People get it for many purposes, including to help
with pain, inflammation, blood flow, relaxation
and well-being, and to help get rid of a cold and
cough quicker. US swimmer Michael Phelps’s skin
was strewn with livid polka dots, and his
friend, the gymnast, Alex Naddour, is also
sporting circular welts. But this is not the
result of a corporate team-building exercise. The
athletes are among the latest adherents to the
Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment known as
cupping. The cups may be made of glass, bamboo,
earthenware and plastic.
I have found that people from many different
cultures use cupping to heal a host of problems.
It dates back to ancient Egyptian, Chinese, and
Middle eastern cultures. One of the oldest medical
textbooks in the world, the Ebers Papyrus,
describes how the ancient Egyptians used cupping
therapy in 1,550 B.C. There are different methods
of cupping, including dry, wet and sliding cups.
During both types of cupping, your doctor will put
alcohol, herbs, or paper in a cup and set it on
fire. As the fire goes out, he puts the cup upside
down on your skin. These days, I use a suction
pump to pull out the air and it works just as
well. As the air inside the cup cools, it creates
a vacuum. This causes your skin to rise and redden
as your blood vessels expand. The cup is generally
left in place for up to fifteen minutes.
Wet cupping creates a mild suction by leaving a
cup in place for about three minutes. The cup is
removed and a small scalpel is used to make light,
tiny cuts on your skin. Next, a second suction is
done to draw out a small quantity of blood. You
might get three to five cups in your first
session. Your skin should look normal again within
two to ten days. Wet cupping removes harmful
substances and toxins from the body to promote
healing. Some people also get needle cupping in
which acupuncture needles are initially inserted
and then cups are put over them.
Sliding cups starts with an application of healing
oil to the body before putting on the cups. Only
using one or two cups, I move them back and forth
causing a redness on ones back to relieve pain.
A 2012 report published in PLoS One shows reviews
of 135 studies on cupping by Australian and
Chinese researchers. They concluded that cupping
therapy is effective when people also get other
treatments, like acupuncture or medications, for
various diseases and conditions: facial paralysis,
cervical spondylosis, blood disorders (e.g.,
anemia and hemophilia), rheumatic diseases (e.g.,
arthritis and fibromyalgia), fertility and
gynecological disorders, skin problems (e.g.,
eczema and acne), high blood pressure, migraines,
anxiety and depression, bronchial congestion
caused by allergies and asthma, and varicose
veins.
With the cold and flu season on us, I use cupping
almost every day on patients to clear out the
mucus and get rid of a cough in no time at all.
The effects are
amazing. With a few treatments, the lung condition
is cleared up quickly. Give me a call and we can
schedule a session. 305-407-0120
I wish you the best in your Health, Wealth and
Happiness.
Dr. Wu Dhi
