Cupping Flashcards
Methods of cupping
Stationary 5-15 min on summer skin or delicate skin
Flash cupping good for deficiency conditions and declining conditions, numbness
Sliding cupping with oil
Multiples cups, muscle injury or bi stagnation in some organs
What is cupping and it’s effects?
Cupping is creating local congestion by creating a partial vacuum in jars placed on the skin, usually using heat.
Effects are the irritation created by causing extravasates, stimulates the body’s own localized and generalized immune system to turn its attention to a specific site or acupuncture point, having anti inflammatory properties and widening blood vessels and speeding the removal of metabolic waste, while improving flow of blood and qi to speed healing.
Usually hidden problems are brought to the surface by removing stagnation.
What conditions is cupping used on?
Headaches Dizziness Cough/ asthma Bi syndromes, wind-damp Muscular skeletal conditions(rheumatic) Acute sprains Epigastric pain, vomiting, diarrhea, dysentery , indigestion Common cold Menstrual disorder Gynological conditionsm
What are contraindications for cupping?
Special caution is required in thoracic and abdominal area Skin ulceration /lesions High fever Over large blood vessels,groin area Bleeding disorders , over thin vessels Abdominal , lumbar sacral regions on pregnant women Semi conscious patients Edema Convulsions Severe allergic skin, dermatitis
What is the sterilization process?
8ml of ostrosan per 1 liter of water, leave in for 10 min. Use gloves when u take out. Wash Oil off first
How is cupping similar to gua sha?
The sliding cup technique is somewhat similar but is a more gentle method of irritating the skin, because there is oil applied and it doesn’t cause as much subcutaneous bruising as gua sha. Still a certain amount of bruising is to be expected in both fixed cupping and sliding.
How is cupping similar to Moxa?
Because of the heat used to create the depressurization of the cup, the patient feels the heat not the skin so it can have a stimulating effect like the burning Moxa.
Similarity to tuina?
In sliding cupping when the cups are moved and the superficial muscle layer is pulled into the cup it is similar to the rapid pinching of the skin along the back which is an important part of tuina. The pinching is done to achieve a redness in the skin usually at bladder points.
When is blood letting usually used in cupping?
In case of toxic heat syndrome and for a variety of acute ailments.
A small amount of blood, 3-4 drops is drawn by using a pricking needle applied to a vein. A thick gauge acupuncture needle or plum blossom needle can be used instead.
This technique is said to promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis and alleviate swelling and pain.
What is one of the traditional uses of cupping?
To dispel cold in the channels.partly because of the heat involved and also because of its ability to release external pathogenic factors, including invasion of wind, damp, and cold.
Liquid cupping and cupping over needle are favoured for joint pain.
