Cupping Treatment

Cupping, the use of small rounded cups made of bamboo, pottery or glass, has been used by the Chinese as a form of treatment since the third century B.C. A match is lit and held inside the "cup" and then the match is removed and the cup is quickly applied to the skin, creating a vacuum of sorts which makes the cup stick tightly to the skin. The cups are usually left on the body for about 15 minutes during which time they actually increase circulation & blood flow to the specific area being treated. Conditions that respond well to cupping include rheumatism, stiff neck, lumbago, and shoulder ailments.