The first recorded use of negative pressure therapy is inscribed on Egyptian pyramid walls. Scenes depict decompression - or negative pressure -  for healing purposes, by drawing air through animal horns placed on the body. As a result of using horns, cupping has been known as jiaofa, or the horn technique. Hippocrates, Father of Medicine, described its use in Greek society.

Zhao Xuemin (1718-1905) wrote Supplement to Outline of Materia Medica, including an entire chapter on fire jar qi (huoquan qi). In it, he emphasized the value of this treatment, using cups made of bamboo or pottery, in alleviating headache of wind-cold type, bi syndrome of wind origin, dizziness, and abdominal pain.

During the 20th century, new glass cups were developed. The introduction of glass cups helped greatly, since the pottery cups broke very easily and the bamboo cups would deteriorate with repeated heating. Glass cups were easier to make than the brass or iron cups that were sometimes used as sturdy substitutes for the others.

Later on another method of suction was developed in which a valve was constructed at the top of the jar and a small hand-operated pump is attached so that the practitioner could suction out air without relying on fire, thus avoiding some hazards and having greater control over the amount of suction, though the plastic ones are not very well suited to moving along the skin once in place, as the edges are not entirely smooth and the strength of the cups is limited. A new idea was born where natural rubber was first used to make Acucups®.

The modern name for cupping is baguanfa, which means “suction cup therapy”. In the United States, it is offered by many massage therapists, acupuncturists and chiropractors, with various celebrities taking advantage of this ancient technique.

What is cupping?

Cupping refers to an ancient Chinese practice in which a cup is applied to the skin and the pressure in the cup is reduced by using change in heat or by pressing out air, so that the skin and superficial muscle layer is drawn into and held in the cup.

Cupping regulates the flow of Qi and Blood. It helps draw out and eliminate factors like Wind, Cold, Damp and Heat.  Cupping also moves Qi and Blood and opens the pores of the skin, resulting in removal of pathogens through the skin.

Cupping Massage

The essential point of cupping massage therapy is not only to withdraw stagnant old blood, but also to remove poisonous substances from the surface of the skin.

Cupping has been found to affect the body up to four inches into the tissue, this results in activating the lymphatic system, clearing colon blockages, help activating and clear the veins, arteries and capillaries. This creates an effective treatment for many conditions such as stiff shoulder, hardened arteries, joint rheumatism and chronic gastroenteritis disorders as well as treatment for pain, circulatory and respiratory diseases, skin conditions, facial paralysis, weakness of muscles, high blood pressure and common colds.

Since the cups are applied at room temperature, the indication of removing cold from the channels is no longer applicable, at least to stationary cups. Friction is generated with moving cups, so that there is a small but significant amount of heat applied by that method, especially if a warming oil is used as lubricant.

The treatment is gentle as a lubricant allows the cup to slide without causing much bruising. Still, a certain amount of redness is expected both from fixed position cupping, especially at the site of the cup rim, and with movement of the cups. The redness that appears is stagnant blood that is moved to the surface, where it's more easily removed by the body. The more redness you see, the more stagnant blood is present.

Acucups® Cupping Massage and the Lymphatic System

The lymphatic system has two functions: balance of body fluid and immunity. It's also our body sewage, ridding us of all deadly toxins constantly released by our cells and removing the dead protein from our tissue spaces. Contrary to the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system does not have a pump and therefore needs stimulation.

Contraindications for cupping include: areas of skin that are inflamed; cases of high fever, convulsions or cramping, or easy bleeding (i.e., pathological level of low platelets); or the abdominal area or lower back during pregnancy. Movement of the cups should not cross bony ridges, such as the spine.

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