With athletes and celebrities popularizing Cupping Therapy in the mainstream, many people are beginning to ask more about what Cupping Therapy is and whether it can help them with their physical or mental problems.
Cupping Therapy is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been around for thousands of years. In the west it is seen as a form of alternative medicine in which a cup is placed on the skin and air is pumped out of it. This will cause the soft tissue to get sucked into the cup, stretching the skin, muscle and fascia. Promoting circulation and aiding the recovery process.
You may be wondering how this is beneficial? Today we are going to talk about how this process helps with back pain and neck pain.
Increased Blood Circulation
Many people may not understand how important proper blood circulation is when it comes to recovery. As we need good circulation to remove toxins from our body and sometimes the organs designated to do this job need a little bit of help. Through no fault of our own sometimes our lifestyle will burden the lymphatic system just by living in a big city. Where we are constantly being exposed to smoke, chemicals and heavy metals.
When the soft tissue is being pulled and stretched into the cup the body will respond by increasing blood circulation to the area being treated. The sudden increase in flow will flush out stagnated toxins and attract immune cells. The increase in oxygenated blood can help with cell repair and help form new connective tissues. An additional benefit is the reduction of inflammation which can help with pain management and cut down the time needed for a natural recovery.
Neck Pain
Many people suffer from neck pain, and for most neck pain is mild and often goes away on its own or with simple treatments. For those with chronic neck pain however, you may need something more than just “taking it easy”.
Neck pain can be caused by a number of reasons, some more serious than others these include:
- Poor Sleeping Position
- Whiplash
- Extended Periods of Time Arching Your Neck
- Grinding/Gritting Your Teeth
- Poor Posture
- Repetitive Motion
- Muscle Strain
As previously stated, Cupping causes vasodilation which increases flow of blood to the area that is being treated. When the soft tissues become stretched it loosens muscle knots relaxing the neck. The reduction in swelling due to the increased circulation makes Cupping Therapy an effective form of reducing chronic neck pain.
Back Pain
Much like neck pains, back pain can be caused by a variety of reasons. Most common being Muscle strains and sprains. Back pain caused by sitting for extended periods of time has become more common in recent times.Due to the difference in size it is more common to injure your back doing everyday things like picking up your child. Or in some cases coughing or sneezing.
Back pain may take longer to heal depending on the severity of the injury. Cupping Therapy is usually done as often as twice per week. Though depending on the color of the mark left by the cup, treatment may be adjusted.
Cupping Therapy can be used to treat pain, reduce scar tissue in muscles, and reduce swelling and muscle knots. We are here to aid you in recovering the natural way. Cupping Therapy is only one of many treatments we offer.
Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine
Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health.
Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from the surrounding cities.
We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.
