Benefits of Cupping Therapy
Next up on the list of alternative therapies that have helped me in my journey of healing Lyme disease - cupping!
If you’re new to TCM, go back to some of my previous posts (here, here, here, and here) for the full debrief. But just as a recap, Chinese medicine focuses on treating disease by looking at the entire being - mind, body, and soul - and getting to the root of the issue. It's based on balance, harmony, and energy, and works to bring the body and mind back to optimal health.
Cupping is another ancient healing modality used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, but has dated back to thousands of years B.C. in many different cultures. The treatment involves lighting medicinal herbs inside a cup on fire, and placing that cup on the back to create a very intense suction. This suction helps stagnant blood to the surface to boost circulation and replenish the body with fresh, new blood and oxygen. There are many benefits to this practice, but a few that specifically help in healing chronic illness include:
Increases circulation
Supports detoxification
Improves digestion
Relieves chronic pain and migraines
Boosts the immune system
Stimulates the lymphatic system
Allows for better range of motion and mobility
Boosts energy
Cupping is especially beneficial for those with chronic illness because pathogens found in the blood are also pulled to the surface, allowing the body to detoxify quicker. It also helps stimulate both the immune and lymphatic systems, which then also improves the body’s removal of toxins. In TCM, each vertebrae corresponds with a different organ system, which is why the cups are often slid across the entire back to energize each system as necessary.
On an energetic level, cupping is done to allow for a better flow of qi, or energy, throughout the body. Ideally, qi should always be running smoothly, but with disease of the body or mind, this energy can sometimes get stuck. Chinese medicine believes that illness stems from stagnation of energy, so cupping works to effectively increase that energy flow. It also helps restore the balance of Yin and Yang, which are the two opposing forces that every single person has in some combination. For total mind and body alignment, these characteristics must be well balanced. TCM says that these imbalances are what causes disease, so cupping brings that harmony back.
Like I mentioned in the beginning, diving deeper into the world of TCM has significantly helped manage some of my symptoms with Lyme. These practices are all things that I have to do on a regular basis, sometimes multiple times a week, in order to feel better. I’ve even noticed that when I take a step back, my symptoms worsen immediately, so for now they’re all things that I stick to consistently. These posts aren’t me trying to tell you what to do and how to heal, because I am still really going through all of this myself. But, so far there have been alternative therapies that actually have helped me, which is why I try to share those to help others find relief.
Everybody and every body is so incredibly different, so please remember that just because it works for me doesn’t mean it will for you. But from my own experience, I have a feeling that if you’re reading this you’re willing to try basically anything that may offer relief, so it’s definitely something worth exploring yourself.
Happy cupping!