How Is Cupping Accomplished?
A cotton ball is clamped in hemostats and soaked with about five to 10 drops of alcohol. The cotton is lit, then inserted into the glass cup to create the vacuum. Move the cup over the area to be treated, remove the cotton ball and invert the cup onto the body. If using a manual vacuum set, place the cup on the body and activate the pump to remove the air. A practitioner lights a cotton ball soaked with alcohol and inserts it into the cup to create the vacuum. There are two main cupping techniques: stationary and moving. Stationary cups are placed on the skin and left for a period of five to 15 minutes in one location, or four to six cups may be applied and removed cyclically in a technique called “flash cupping.” These are the methods most commonly used in Chinese medicine. Moving (or “massage cupping”) is the more commonly used form of cupping among massage therapists and other health care practitioners. Prior to applying the cup, oil is administered to the skin to facilitate smooth
