Understanding the Healing Practice of Cupping

Cupping is a practice, where a cup made of glass, metal, silicone, or bamboo is placed on the skin as a suction device to pull the superficial muscle layer upwards to increase the blood flow, which helps in relieving pain, stiff muscles, and fatigue. Suction is achieved as a result of the vacuum created by the application of heat inside the cup or by a mechanical pump. Many cups are placed simultaneously and left on the skin for about 5 to15 minutes. Some therapists may also use herbal oils to glide the cups around. Cupping works similar to Acupuncture, targeting painful body parts by application of pressure.

##Cupping in History
Cupping is in use for ages in Egypt and Greece; it is even described in Ebers Papyrus, the oldest medical textbook

For _Wet Cupping_ or Hijama, an incision is made in the skin and a small quantity of blood is drawn through the cup. This is believed to remove toxins from the body and promote healing. In _Dry Cupping_, there is no blood loss, only the blood vessels are expanded to increase blood flow. _Massage Cupping_ is where the cups are moved around the body by lubricating the skin with essential oils and herbs.

##Does it work?
By stimulating the largest organ in our body, that is the skin, cupping is believed to yield immense health benefits.[1] Chinese medicine works based on the principle of flow of energy, _qi_. Illnesses occur when there is a blockage in the flow of energy. Cupping aims at facilitating the free flow of energy to restore balance and healing. There are quite a handful of studies on cupping benefits, but most of them are inconclusive and call for further studies. Here are some of the conditions that could potentially be eased by cupping:

+Pain - One study shows that home-based cupping is beneficial in treating neck pain.[2] Wet cupping reduced the intensity and frequency of migraines in a study conducted on 70 individuals.[3] Another study on dry cupping presents that it relieved symptoms of knee