One of the strangest and hottest health trends out there today -- pun intended -- is something called cupping. Olympic athletes and celebrities are apparently paying big bucks in order to get this treatment. It essentially involves placing heated cups on the skin. The heat then sucks the skin upwards into the cup. People who do this claim the procedure removes toxins from the body, helps destroy energy blocks, treats deep scar tissue, and eases pain. But if you’ve ever seen somebody who’s been through a cupping session, you might notice that they have large welts on their skin. It looks pretty painful to me.
The National Institute of Health says most of the benefits from cupping are a result of the placebo effect. But studies have shown that it can be effective at treating pain, particularly lower back and neck pain. Cupping professionals claim that the color of the welts left from the procedure tell them different things about the health of the patient. The darker the welt, and the longer it takes to heal, the more toxins were removed from that area of the body.
Partha’s Rx
- The National Institute of Health says that cupping is generally safe if performed by a trained health professional.
- Understand the risks, however. Bruising, soreness and discomfort are possible.
- If you have other underlying health conditions, talk to your doctor first.
- Use cupping as a supplement to traditional medical treatment; not as a replacement for it.
Believe it or not, people have been cupping in one form or another for thousands of years. The ancient Persians did it to remove toxins from the body. Muhammed talked about it in the Koran, and it was practiced in China and Egypt. So there is a lot of subjective and historical evidence that it works…just not so much hard science. Personally, I feel it's another technique for decreasing pain and removing toxins from the body!
