2023-10-30 13:49:00
Important : no study scientifically validates the effectiveness of cupping therapy.
Still confidential a few years ago, cupping therapy – literally cupping therapy – continues to gain popularity. Methodology, benefits, dangers… We tell you everything you need to know about this practice.
What is cupping therapy?
The cupping therapy (also called cupping therapy or Hijama) has existed for millennia in many traditional medicines, particularly Chinese and Middle Eastern. It was then used to treat various illnesses, to calm pain, to relieve tension… The idea? Apply suction cups directly to the skin of the body to cause a suction effect upon contact in order to stretch the skin and promote muscle relaxation …
Still little known, cupping therapy received a big spotlight during the 2016 Olympic Games, when the American swimmer multi-medalist Michael Phelps appeared on the edge of the pool with reddish circles, clearly identifiable traces left by the suction cups…
Today, there are several variations of the hijama:
- The cold cupping therapy : we use a suction cup with a manual pump and we create the suction phenomenon by mechanical suction,
- The hot cupping therapy : before placing the suction cup on the skin, a flame is introduced inside. It is this flame which, by creating a vacuum inside the suction cup, will create suction.
- The cupping therapy avec extraction de sang (or cupping therapy humide): a small cut is made on the skin, before the suction cup is placed on top. The suction carried out using an elaborate suction cup will allow the blood accumulated in the area to be removed. The goal is to stimulate the immune system.
Cupping therapy: what are the benefits?
According to fans, the benefits of cupping therapy are numerous since it helps promote:
- La relaxation,
- Muscle recovery,
- Firming of the skin,
- Better blood and lymphatic circulation,
- The fight against sleep disorders,
- The fight against cellulite,
- Elimination of toxins,
- Relief from chronic pain, cramps, aches and rheumatism…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized since 2004 that traditional Chinese medicine (which includes cupping therapy), complementary and parallel, offers many benefits.1.
Despite the impressive marks it can leave on the body, a session of cupping therapy is not painful, it is more like a form of massage. At most, the suction cups remain in contact with the skin for around fifteen minutes.
Hijama: what are the dangers?
If cupping therapy is not normally painful and it is completely normal to feel a sensation of heat, its practice requires going through a professional because there are still risks:
- Risks of burns
- Risk of damage to tissues and blood vessels, particularly if the suction cups remain in contact with the skin for too long
Finally, the hijama is contraindicated:
- to children,
- in case of pregnancy,
- to people suffering from diseases or other dermatological problems.
- to people suffering from cardiac pathologies,
- for people with hemophilia
- if taking anticoagulant treatment,
- in case of burns, sunburns and recent wounds…
1. Traditional medicine, WHO.
Read also
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How to use an anti-cellulite suction cup?
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Everything you need to know about cryotherapy
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