Methods of Fire Cupping

Heat given by igniting can exhaust air in the cup, then cup can attach to the skin surface. Fire cupping can be classified into different types in the following.

Putting fire into cup: we ignite alcohol cotton or paper ball, then put it inot cup, attach cup on the skin surface quickly. This method is easy to use. It is commonly used for retaining of cup but not for flash cup or moving cup.

Flash fire: doctor uses one hand to hold forcep with alcohol cotton for igniting and other to hold cup, then ignites alcohol cotton, insert cotton into the bottom of cup with forcep, curve and then withdraw cotton, rapid attach cup on the skin surface. This method is most commonly used in the clinic.

Sticking cotton on the cup: doctor soaks a small piece of cotton with 95% alcohol, stick it on the inside of cup, ignite cotton, then quickly attach cup on the skin surface. We can not use large amount of alcohol, otherwide patient will be burnt.

Dropping wine: we drop one drop for small cup or two drops for big cup of white wine or alcohol into cup, rotate cup so that wine or alcohol can be evenly distributed in the cup, ignite and quickly attach cup on the skin surface.