Information: Suitable for both Men and Women
Time/Amount: 1/2 hour - 1 hour
Price: $50.00 - $80.00
Cupping is a medical practice where cups are placed on parts of the body to create a suction effect which raises the skin and draws the blood to the surface. It is used throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Europe to treat pain, swelling, inflammation, migraine, rheumatism, bronchitis, and the common cold. Recent studies suggest that it could also be a promising form of treatment for a host of other ailments, as well. Blood immediately rushes to the area, creating a painless bruise which actually feels good. Those who have gone through the procedure claim it feels like a massage in reverse. Instead of pressure bearing down against the skin, it feels like the skin is being pushed outward, instead. Depending on how the bruising occurs, its coloration, and how long it lasts, practitioners can tell where problems are located and can prescribe different treatments accordingly.
Sometimes, cupping is also done in tandem with GuaSha, which literally means scraping. This involves oiling the skin then scraping it with a coin, ceramic spoon, or a scraper made of rhino horn (which is extremely smooth and silky, yet hard) or jade. This is used to treat fever, exhaustion, sore muscles, and even cellulite. Whatever they use, the skin is scraped along meridian points, which is where the pressure points lie. This treatment causes soreness after a few minutes, and leaves bright red scratch marks on the skin, which fade after 2 to 4 days. Often, the scratches fade long before the bruises from cupping do.