Cupping -- old treatment for age old problem

Pain.


Cupping is usually performed by heating up the edges of a glass cup, which is then placed on the skin. The heating up is what helps cause the vacuum, which causes the skin/fat/muscle to be raised a little into the cup. Traditional Chinese medicine uses cupping, almost like how it uses acupuncture -- by applying the cups to certain area, it is supposed to relieve pain. Often cupping is not used alone and is used with other forms of therapy. There is growing medical evidence that cupping does wotk in certain types of pain, such as lower back pain. One of the problems lies in the difficulty in really 'blinding' someone to whether they receive the cupping or not (sham cupping or placebo). In a drug trial, we use placebo pills (commonly called 'sugar pills') that look exactly like the pills being studied. This is a lot more difficult in a cupping study.

Most people associate cupping exclusively with Traditional Chines Medicine, but many other cultures use it -- such as the Bedouins. Cupping can be performed with suction and without heating the cup, but this is less traditional. It is also possible that cupping work by sucking blood into the area to which it is applied.

Pros:

- Low cost alternative way to treat pain, especially since there aren't that many alternatives.
- Has a long tradition and is relatively safe

Cons:

- Often needs to be used in conjunction with other treatments, so unclear how much it adds
- The fire may leave burns or marks
- Some practitioners may charge a lot for this treatment, which is not proven to be effective.


What do you do for your pain?


- Dr. Daniel Kantor, MD BSE
Medical Director
Neurologique

info@neurologique.org
www.neurologique.org