Cupping Therapy Q & A

What is cupping therapy?

Cupping is a type of traditional Chinese therapy that involves creating suction on certain areas of your skin using pressurized cups. Cupping therapy dates all the way back to the 4th century AD, and is thought to have been first practiced by Ge Hong, a famous Taoist alchemist and herbalist.

How does cupping therapy work?

On its most basic level, cupping therapy increases blood flow to the areas where the cups are placed. This improved circulation can help relieve muscle tension, promote cell repair, and form new connective tissues and blood vessels.

This improved blood flow also helps to direct the flow of your body’s life-force energy, or qi. Taoists believe that cupping therapy works to balance your yin and yang (the positive and negative energy within your body). Balancing your qi or your yin and yang helps improve your body’s natural ability to regenerate and heal itself. 

What does cupping therapy treat?

Cupping therapy can be used on any of your acupoints, which enables it to treat an incredibly wide range of conditions, like skin issues and digestive problems. A review of studies published in PLOS One in 2012 found that cupping therapy is effective in treating:

• Shingles
• Facial paralysis
• Cough and dyspnea
• Acne
• Lumbar disc herniation
• Cervical spondylosis

PUSH San Diego specializes in using acupressure techniques, like cupping therapy, in all stages of childbirth, including fertility, pregnancy, birth and labor, and postpartum.

The practice is also unique in their offering of breast cupping therapy. Cupping therapy performed on your breasts have a number of benefits, including:

• Stimulating the lymphatic cleansing process
• Reducing inflammation
• Toning and firming your skin
• Helping your body break down any benign cysts in your breasts
• Detoxifying and restoring a healthy pH balance in your blood and surrounding tissues

Talk to a PUSH San Diego clinician to learn more about what cupping therapy can do for your breasts.

What is naval cupping?

Naval cupping is an ancient technique where a large glass cup is placed over a patient's belly button. It is done to remove toxins in the body that can affect the patient as chronic pain, digestive issues, infertility challenges and so much more. PUSH San Diego is one of the only clinics trained in this special art of cupping and it is an extremely unique and powerful technique. Last winter there was a patient who came in 23 weeks pregnant with twins. Her cervix was prematurely shortening and she was starting to go into early labor. The team cupped her abdomen several times and all preterm labor signs stopped, and she vaginally birthed healthy twins at term at 40 weeks.