Traditionally, we believe that cupping has functions to clear toxic heat, dispel wind and eliminate cold, promote qi and activate blood, remove swollen and stop pain according to manipulation and points combination, now we introduce in the following.
To prevent invasion of external pathogenic factors and promote body constitution: external pathogenic factors refer to wind, cold, summer heat, dampness, dryness, fire or infectious factors. When external pathogenic factors attack body, they will meet defensive qi of body at first that gets functions to protect body health, nourish and moisten skin and muscle, control opening and closing of pores on the skin. Cupping therapy can help defensive qi to eliminate invasion of external pathogenic factors. On the other side, retaining of cup or cupping on the back-shu points are good methods to promote body constitution.
To activate blood circulation and eliminate blood stagnation: merdians system is the body network to connect up with down, internal wth external, zang organs with fu organs ect, so free flowing of qi and blood in merdians get function to keep body health. On the contrary, disturbance of qi and blood such as excess, deficiency, stagnation or bleeding etc can result in various diseases. Vacuum given by cupping can cause congest, blood stagnation or bleeding so that qi and blood circulation can be improved, then internal zang and fu organs can be nourished. In general, cupping therapy has effective result to stop pain with different applications of cup such as retaining of cup, bleeding and cupping or moving cup.
To balance yin and yang: key etiology of all of diseases are imbalance of yin and yang, cupping can regulate yin and yang, for instance, gastric pain is caused by stomach cold, cupping on Pishu (BL20), Weishu (BL21) and Zusanli (ST36) He-Sea Point can warm up yang to stop gastric pain.
To diagnose diseases: invasion of external pathogenic factors or disturbance of internal zang and fu organs can relatively reflex on body surface, so location of cupping and color change after cupping can diagnose diseases.
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