Acupuncture
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Chinese Cupping
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Asian Arts of Balance
Providing Services
at Two Locations:
Broward Location:
White Crane Healing Arts
7071 West Commercial Blvd. Suite 2C
Tamarac, FL 33319
Palm Beach Location:
The Maui Spa
2100 NW Boca Raton Blvd.
Boca Raton, Florida 33431
Call (954) 873-0363 to
schedule your appointment
Chinese Cupping
Most people nowadays have at least a passing familiarity with acupuncture and may even have a vague idea of what it is. People who have never experienced it often have questions about this curious and seemingly new practice. However, as more people are looking for natural remedies and preventative measures of care, Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practices are on the rise. Probably one of the least talked but extremely effective methods of TCM is cupping. Often as soon as people hear about it they immediately wonder what it is and what the benefits of it are.
The way it works is that it creates a vacuum effect against the skin, usually by heat or suction. The cup is left in place for a few minutes, forming a blood stasis and localizing healing to that area. Cupping is also used in opening up the meridians in the body, which are the channels through which energy flows in the body.
Cupping is often used to rid the body of pain, particularly pain created by a lack of blood flow and has been known to affect up to four inches deep beneath the skin. It is also used to open up airways in asthmatics and improve digestion. On one hand, while acupuncture in a sense puts something into the body, cupping takes things away by removing toxins and other harmful pathogens from the body. Often, people will say they experience a tired feeling after cupping, especially after the first treatment. The method is supposed to be purifying the blood so what it does is brings the old blood to the surface and then the body creates new blood to heal any bruises that are created.
Although cupping has been known to cause bruising, it should not take away from the healing properties it has and the positive effects it often guarantees. The bruising, depending on the coloration, can be helpful in diagnosing what is going on beneath the surface of the skin. Red circles can be indicative of inflammation whereas stagnated blood areas will be purple in color. These areas tell a great deal about what benefits the patient is getting ranging from releasing toxins from the skin to improving varicose veins and clearing up stretch marks. It is extremely safe and can be incorporated into regular health maintenance practices.
Typically, specially designed glass cups began being used as opposed to bamboo and pottery cups. Because the bamboo weakened over time and the ceramic glasses broke easily, it became more feasible to use glass, as they were a more sturdy material and glide easier across the skin. Some acupuncturist's actually use a lubricant to ensure that the cups can be moved across the skin easier. Traditional cupping uses heat to get results and now a new method uses a cold suction method. Instead of the vacuum effect typical with traditional cupping, modern cupping techniques use glass or plastic cups that use a one-way valve. The cups are placed on the body as pumps draw air out through the valves and the glass cups allows the acupuncturist to determine the force of the suction. Whether through hot or cold measures, cupping has proven time and again to be a viable solution to remedy pain in the body, whether newly acquired or chronic.
Contact the Asian Arts of Balance for your next Chinese Medical Treatment (954) 873-0363