Author: Viktoria Avane, Chinese Medicine Practitioner

Cupping therapy, an ancient healing technique rooted in multiple traditional medicine systems, has seen a resurgence in recent years, particularly among athletes and wellness enthusiasts. But beyond the visual intrigue of round marks left on the skin, what is really happening under the surface, and what conditions can it help treat?

Origins of Cupping

Cupping therapy dates back over 2,000 years, with ancient Chinese, Egyptian, and Middle Eastern medical texts referencing its use. The Ebers Papyrus (c. 1550 BCE), an Egyptian medical manuscript, describes cupping as a means to remove “foreign matter” from the body (Al-Bedah et al., 2019). Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has long integrated cupping into treatments for stagnation of Qi and blood, with variations including dry, wet, and moving cupping. We use dry and moving cupping at the clinic.

The Physics Behind Cupping: What Happens to the Skin and Tissues?

In dry cupping, a vacuum is created inside a cup and then a cup is placed on the skin. Victoria is using sterilised glass cups and the vacuum is created by swiftly burning the air inside the cup before it is placed on the skin. There is no burning or pain of any kind, just the pulling of the skin sensation - imagine a strong vacuum tube placed on your skin. This suction lifts the skin and superficial tissues, which creates several physiological effects.

From a physics standpoint, cupping reduces atmospheric pressure inside the cup compared to external pressure. This pressure differential draws skin and underlying tissues into the cup, stimulating capillary rupture, extravasation of blood, and controlled local inflammation (Cao et al., 2010). This triggers a local immune response, increasing the presence of white blood cells, and encourages microcirculation and lymphatic drainage.

What Conditions Can Cupping Help With?

Though cupping is not a cure-all, evidence and experience suggest it may help relieve certain musculoskeletal, circulatory, and inflammatory conditions:

1. Muscle Pain and Tension

Cupping has been shown to increase local blood flow and reduce muscle stiffness. Clinical trials suggest benefits in chronic neck pain, lower back pain, and shoulder tension (Teut et al., 2012).

2. Inflammatory and Autoimmune Conditions

Some studies suggest cupping may help modulate the immune response and reduce inflammatory markers (Al-Bedah et al., 2019).

3. Migraine and Tension Headaches

By relieving myofascial trigger points and improving circulation, cupping can be a complementary therapy for certain types of headaches where the cups would be applied on trapezius muscles, as well as those of the neck and back.

4. Respiratory Ailments

Historically, cupping has been used for bronchial congestion, asthma, and the common cold by encouraging mucus clearance and immune activation (Farhadi et al., 2009). Cups are applied on the upper back and left for 10 -15 minutes, This dislodges the mucus in the lungs and leads to a faster recovery from respiratory illnesses.

Cupping therapy bridges ancient medical tradition and modern biomedical understanding. While its full mechanisms are still under investigation, its effects on circulation, inflammation, and neuromodulation offer a plausible basis for its therapeutic benefits. With a growing body of clinical research, cupping continues to evolve from folk remedy to evidence-informed integrative therapy.

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References

Al-Bedah, A., Elsubai, I.S., Qureshi, N.A., Aboushanab, T.S., Ali, G.I.M., El-Olemy, A.T., Khalil, M.K.M., Hammam, A.A., Alqaed, M.S., Al Arifi, M.N. and AlJohani, W.M., (2019). The medical perspective of cupping therapy: Effects and mechanisms of action. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, 9(2), pp.90–97.
Cao, H., Li, X. and Liu, J., (2010). An updated review of the efficacy of cupping therapy. PLOS One, 5(2), e8731.
Farhadi, K., Schwebel, D.C., Saeb, M., Choubsaz, M., Mohammadi, R. and Ahmadi, A., (2009). The effectiveness of wet-cupping for nonspecific low back pain in Iran: A randomized controlled trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 17(1), pp.9–15.
Lowe, D.T., (2017). Cupping therapy: An analysis of the effects of suction on skin and the possible influence on human health. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 29, pp.162–168.
Teut, M., Kaiser, S., Ortiz, M., Roll, S., Binting, S., Willich, S.N. and Brinkhaus, B., (2012). Pulsatile dry cupping in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee – a randomized controlled exploratory trial. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 12(1), p.184.

The Science and Story of Cupping Therapy: An Ancient Tool in Modern Healing