DENVER - Cupping is not a new treatment to relieve stress or promote well being.
It has deep roots in Chinese medicine. How deep? Try 3,000 years!
Most often, cupping is done following an acupuncture treatment.
A warming oil is applied to the back (or another affected area). The acupuncturist then heats up glass cups and then places them on the skin. As the cup cools down, the skin is sucked up inside.
I had the treatment done on my back recently at Insight Acupuncture in Denver. It did not feel as odd as it looked on our 9NEWS video.
Acupuncturist Geina Horton explained that the cups were the tightest on my back in spots where blood flow was constricted.
"The suction coaxes blood to the area which promotes localized healing," Horton said. "The amount of dark red or even purple blood drawn to the surface indicates the degree of stagnation."
The darker the blood reflects the amount of toxins in the blood.
I will attest that the cupping does not hurt. The heat from the cups is bearable. The suction is not too intense.
However, in spots where the cup was stuck on the skin rather tight, there may be some bruising. The round purple circles on my back only lasted for a couple of days. They were not painful.
The treatment lasts less than a half hour.
Aside from stress relief, cupping is used to treat respiratory illnesses from colds to asthma. Horton also uses the method to treat those with digestive and gynecological disorders as well as insomnia.
To learn more about cupping: http://www.insightacupuncture.com/
(KUSA-TV © 2011 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)
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