Fire Cupping
What is Fire Cupping?
Stress automatically restricts blood flow to the internal organs and sinews (muscles, tendons) causing stagnation and soreness. Because life in this modern age creates many stressors, the organ tissues in the core of the body are left starved of blood and do not perform the way they are supposed to.
This ancient technique is used to massage the body which helps to warm the meridians (pathways) which flow throughout the entire body by removing the cold, dampness and toxicity that becomes embedded in the body, causing stagnation which always results in pain. Cups slide and glide along the oiled surface of the body transferring tissue inside the cup as it is moved, breaking up stagnant blood and allowing for rejuvenated blood to flow to the troubled site.
Chinese Fire Cupping is a traditional form of healing, dating back thousands of years to China and ancient Egypt and has been used every century since then. There are different types of cups used, such as bamboo cups, the new modern plastic plunger cups and of course, the glass fire cups. They come in a variety of sizes and are used for different regions of the body.
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The cup adheres to the skin’s surface, drawing tissue into the cup, pulling toxins, stagnate blood and fluid to the site. The fluids are blood and lymph. These substances collect underneath the cup. This is especially useful over “knots” in sore, tired, aching muscles where the blood flow has been restricted to the area. This newly accumulated blood bathes the muscle deep to its core, lubricating fibres and contributing to the healing of the tissue. Lymph is also drawn into the cup which aids in removing the painful build-up of lactic acid in the muscle. These physiological changes brought about by cupping, decreases tension in the muscle, restores internal organ function and encourages the flow of blood and Qi to the area.