Best Cupping Cups For 2024
Brandon Forder Apr 25, 2024 1:28 PM
Cupping is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that is making a comeback in the West.
You've probably seen images of massage cupping if you've ever seen someone with bruise-looking purple patches in the shape of circles on their back.
Although the marks may appear painful at first, they are actually merely a strange sensation that requires some adjustment.
As a kind of alternative medicine, cupping therapy involves the localized application of a vacuum or suction to a small area of the back in order to bring blood and muscle tissue to the surface.
Researchers have found that cupping therapy can alleviate a variety of painful illnesses, including those involving the back (such as tightness, soreness, or poor circulation), the energy levels (such as gout or arthritis), and poor circulation.
If you're curious about cupping therapy but unsure if it's suited for you, or how to go about locating a quality cupping set, then keep reading!
This article will also feature my evaluations of the top home cupping sets now available.
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Dry Cupping vs. Wet Cupping
It's helpful to have a cupping set that can be used with or without oil, so that you may customize your treatment to your needs.
Oil in the cups allows you to "reverse massage" the muscles and fascia by gliding them across the skin.
Although this method of cupping does not leave marks, it is not advised to use oil in all cups.
Those that combine well with oil provide more flexibility.
Effective Suction
A cupping set's suction is the single most important factor in determining how well it will perform for therapeutic purposes.
Good cups have strong suction that is easy to establish and keep going.
The suction could be a little unnerving at first, but it shouldn't hurt. Although, it need to be potent enough to make a noticeable impression.
Durability
Cheaper cups may not last long before their suction weakens.
Investing in a high-quality cupping set that can survive many usage is essential if you want to get the most out of your purchase.
Biomagnetic needles
As an alternative to the traditional needling cupping technique, in which an acupuncturist inserts a needle into the skin before placing a cup over it, some cups come with replaceable magnetic points, termed biomagnetic needles. Acupuncture cups with magnets inside are a non-invasive alternative to needless skin puncturing.
Cup size
A quality cupping set will include cups ranging in size from very small (0.7 inches in diameter) to very large (2.7 inches in diameter), with a number of options in between. For the back and shoulders, a larger cup size is preferable, whereas the neck and even the face benefit more from a smaller cup size.
Number of cups
Cupping sets with fewer cups, say four, will be more affordable than those with many cups (say, 24).
Prices
When you consider that a single cupping session with a practitioner might cost anywhere from $40 to $80, even the most expensive cupping set ends up being quite a bargain.
A high-quality professional kit comprised of polycarbonate or glass might cost anything from $80 to $240. For just $70, you can get a plastic cupping set made to the same standards as the more expensive metal versions.
There are a lot of low-cost resources available for people who want to attempt cupping on their own. Even the best silicone suction-cup cupping kits can cost up to $50. You should expect to pay half as much for a set with a reduced number of pieces. Suction pistol cupping sets typically include anywhere from 13 to 20 cups. Prices for these items are between $20 and $35
What is Cupping Therapy?
Suction is created by placing small glass or silicone cups on the skin of your back.
There is a wide variety of cupping sets available, each with its own unique method of operation.
Some use heat to produce a vacuum inside the cup, while others feature an air pump that you squeeze to extract air.
Cups are typically left on for 5–20 minutes during a cupping therapy session.
Sliding the cups across the back is a technique employed in various forms of cupping therapy.
After taking away the cups, the resulting circles become more visible.
According to TCM, the deeper these scars look, the more toxins and stagnated energy were stored there.
In most cases, the scars disappear after 3–10 days.
How Does Cupping Therapy Work?
In traditional Chinese medicine, animal horns were used to remove pus and blood from boils.
A system for releasing blocked "chi" energy and reestablishing the body's natural energy flow evolved from this practice.
Vacuum cupping is effective because it draws toxins from the body and stimulates healing by increasing blood and lymphatic fluid circulation, which is thought to be the cause of stagnant chi.
Tense muscles that are clinging to bone are unlocked as stagnation is broken up by the suction.
In this way, the area receives a fresh supply of blood, which aids in cellular revitalization.
Tight muscles can be relaxed and blood flow restored with the help of massage therapy.
Like an opposite movement, cupping loosens muscles by drawing them out from the body rather than forcing them into it.
It improves mobility and healing by allowing fluids to enter the tissues by breaking down the barriers between the layers of tissue.
Because of this, those who undergo cupping therapy report feeling as though they have just had a deeply relaxing massage.
What’s the difference between dry cupping and wet cupping?
Dry cupping is placing the cup on the skin at a specific location and leaving it there for three to thirty minutes. Wet cupping involves applying a suction using a cup, removing it, and then making an incision in the same region. The term "bleeding cupping" refers to the process of using two cups to extract blood from the patient. Some alternative health care providers believe that this method is effective at eliminating pollutants.
Does cupping hurt?
Cupping shouldn't hurt if done properly. Some have compared it to the sensation of a "small octopus" sucking at their skin. It's been said that the incisions made during wet cupping (also called hijama) are painful, yet bearable. While a license is not strictly necessary to practice cupping, anyone interested in wet cupping or fire cupping should seek the services of a licensed acupuncturist (LAc) to reduce the danger of infection or burns.
Try cupping therapy if you're open to trying new, non-invasive methods of relieving pain.
Many folks who were initially put off by its appearance found they greatly enjoyed it.
Myofascial release and muscular relaxation are two of the many benefits.
Cupping treatment is likely to appeal to those who find massage relaxing and those who have found relief from using a foam roller.
Starting out with silicone cups is simple because of how intuitive they are.
