Introduction of Cupping
Today, cupping therapy is becoming more and more popular. In short, cupping is a physical therapy using various methods to remove the air in containers to form a negative pressure which makes the cups to be sucking on the skin. During this process, cupping causes deep tissue congestion or stagnation, promotes local blood circulation, and therefore achieves the effects of a reduction in pain.
Classification of Cupping
In terms of major categories, cupping therapy can be classified into two major types --- dry cupping and wet cupping. Compared to the former, wet cupping which involves medicinal bleeding is more traumatic, thus it is less popular than dry cupping. In general, dry cupping can also be classified into 3 types --- stationary cupping, glide cupping, and flash cupping. The latter two techniques require more professional skills so that some physical clinics do not offer that for clients.
Stationary cupping
As the name implies, stationary cupping means that the cups will be fixed at the spots for a couple of minutes after being sucked. To avoid hurting the skin, it is important that the stronger the suction and pulling force is (the stronger the suction and pulling force must be), the less the retention time should be.
Flash cupping
To perform a flash cupping, therapists need to immediately pull the cup up after attaching it to the skin, and repeat this process a couple of times until the skin flushes. Flash cupping is more gentle and less hurtful compared with stationary cupping due to the alternation between suction and release, so that it is suitable for people with a weak constitution.
Glide cupping
Some therapists also call glide Cupping massage cupping or slide cupping. For this technique, cups will be moved along the muscle tissue like doing massage using a cup. The difference is that massage using pressure while glide cupping using negative pressure, which breaks the blood capillary and therefore promotes the toxins to be expelled faster.
Dynamic cupping
Dynamic cupping technology combines traditional therapy with advanced technologies. Through the process of rhythmic alternation of suction and release, blood circulation would speed up and the recovery process would become faster. To some extent, dynamic cupping is similar to flashing cupping. The difference is that the latter removes the cups and therefore interrupts the cupping to release the local area, whereas the former decreases the suction degree to a certain extent without completely interrupt the suction process. Unlike continuous cupping, the intermittent suction and release not only hurts you less but also has a more significant effect on stimulating the subcutaneous nerves, thereby speed up the process of relaxing muscles tightness and reducing pain and soreness.
Experienced cupping therapists aimed at improving the flash cupping technique to minimize the interruption between the suction and release, however, the gap can never be eliminated. This is the limitation of the traditional cupping technique. Nowadays, there are electronic cupping machines using programs to control the cupping process, which can take the effectiveness of the dynamic alternation to the extreme.
As a typical example, Achedaway Cupper is such a smart device having a dynamic cupping function, which provides 5 different cupping modes of dynamic suction and releases to boosts blood circulation faster to the cupping areas and therefore speeding up the recovery. The device also has an App control, meaning that users can switch the intensity levels during the cupping to customize their own needs based on their current physical condition.
There is nothing more enjoyable than getting cupping at home on a bed with just some simple touches on your cell phone screen in a super effortless way, just like having a highly experienced therapist.
