Alternative Treatments
Cupping Massage Therapy
Cupping is another old traditional healing method and evidence reveals that it was practiced by the Chinese and Egyptians thousands of years ago. This therapy involves the creation of suction by placing special cups on a person’s skin for a couple of minutes.
Cups used in cupping are typically made of silicone, bamboo, earthenware, and glass. Two kinds of cupping exist ‐ dry cupping which is a suction‐only technique and wet cupping where a little bleeding is involved.
How is this treatment administered?
Your doctor puts paper, herbs, or alcohol in a cup and heats the substance. The source of fire is then removed and the heated cup is placed upside down against your skin. Some modern practitioners often use rubber pumps instead of the fire method. A vacuum is created when the cup is against your skin which causes the muscles and skin to rise upwards. The expansion of blood vessels in that area results in a reddening of the skin.
The cup is removed after about three minutes. In wet cupping, the doctor removes the cup and using a scalpel or similar instrument, makes small cuts to draw a little blood.
When the procedure is complete, the practitioner will cover the affected region with bandages or antibiotic ointment to prevent infections. Expect the bruising or cuts to disappear in approximately 10 days.
Cupping can help treat conditions such as pain, anxiety, acne, facial paralysis, cervical spondylosis, varicose veins, and high blood pressure. Occasionally, a patient can be treated using both cupping and acupuncture. Please consult with the cupping practitioner before you pursue this method of treatment.
Acupressure
While acupuncture involves the penetration of specific areas of the skin using fine needles, acupressure entails applying pressure on these specific areas of the body using hands, elbows, or other tools to produce similar healing effects.
Acupressure is the best alternative if you are uncomfortable with acupuncture. But how does acupressure work? Just like acupuncture, acupressure has been used as a treatment method for a very long time.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, when Qi (life force) is weak, excessive, or blocked, one feels pain, anxiety, or discomfort. Qi flows through your body through pathways called meridians. Practitioners focus on these key areas where the vital energy that keeps a person healthy flows through.
When pressure is applied to these “acupressure points,” the blood flow is increased, and Qi’s flow is restored. If done correctly, acupressure reduces stress, anxiety, or pain associated with diseases and leaves one feeling calm and rejuvenated.