Cupping is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been used to relieve stress for centuries. Cupping therapy offers a wide range of benefits, including reducing inflammation, relieving muscle tension, and relieving pain, stiffness, and stress.

Often, our mental state can manifest in physical ailments, such as experiencing stress headaches, or tension in muscles from being physically very tense. Cupping therapy can be extremely beneficial for people who are suffering from swelling, inflammation, or stress. Cupping itself is not painful, but it does leave a noticeable temporary mark on the body. If you have seen pictures of athletes or celebrities with a series of circles on their backs, those marks are caused by cupping.

Cupping helps stimulate energy in our bodies, and helps our bodies absorb the fluids that cause swelling. Cupping is an excellent form of deep tissue massage, and can help stimulate the body, prompting it to start healing more quickly.

During a cupping therapy session, a series of round, glass cups are placed directly on your skin by a skilled and licensed practitioner. The cups are heated to create suction and are left on your skin for several minutes. The suction of the cup on your skin helps to stimulate blood flow. Increased circulation of blood kickstarts the health process faster and can help reduce pain. Many cupping therapy patients feel immediate relief from pain during cupping therapy.

Cupping is highly effective, and although the marks left by cupping therapy sessions look like they might be painful, the treatment itself is not. Heat is used to remove oxygen from the cups before they are placed on your skin. This causes the skin inside the cup to be sucked in, which causes the bruising.

Bruising can last for several weeks but is not permanent. While some patients find the feeling of cupping to be intense, the benefits are appreciated. Cupping removes tension which results in a drastic decrease of pain.

It is important to only seek cupping therapy as a treatment from licensed, knowledgeable professionals. Cupping has been used for centuries to help with illnesses such as bronchitis, phenomena, and other diseases that cause a buildup of fluid in the body. In the Western world, cupping is primarily used for pain relief, and should only be done on clean, unbroken skin.