Cupping is a practice of using glass or plastic cups on the skin to release harmful pathogens or excessive energy.
The practitioner uses various techniques with the cups to release muscular tension, to help with cold and flu symptoms, or to relieve pain.
Cupping is appropriate only with certain cases, so you may not receive this with your acupuncture if it is not right for you.
This technique is very good for releasing the myo-fascial layer for tension and pain. This is also the area of the body that deals with the initial attack of a virus or bacteria, causing cold and flu and it is very helpful to have cupping for this.
The area of the skin that has been cupped may have a red or purple mark left after the therapy. This is from blood being sucked to the surface of the skin. Usually, there is more discolouration when there is more stagnation to be released. The discolouration will remain for a few days or a week and this is a safe and normal reaction to cupping therapy.