Massage Cupping is the use of specialized cups to lift the tissue, creating space between muscle fibers and fascia for old debris such as scar tissue and stagnant lymph to come to the surface. Without this debris clogging our systems, the body is able to function more efficiently, which leaves you healthier as well as more relaxed.
Although the therapy is often associated with Chinese medicine, it is known to have been practiced by many different cultures in all parts of the world ranging from east Asia to Europe, Middle East where it is called hijama, northern Africa and even by North American Indians. The exact location where the technique first developed is not known but historical accounts point to the possibility that migrating people carried the knowledge with them to other parts of the world.
Today, cupping is recommended for the treatment of pain, gastro-intestinal disorders, lung diseases (especially chronic cough and asthma), and paralysis, though it can be used for other disorders as well. The areas of the body that are fleshy are preferred sites for cupping. 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.
Cupping by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon