Technique used in Chinese medicine to increase the flow of qi (“chee”) or energy within the body. Small rounded cups made of glass or bamboo are placed over the person’s acupoints for 5 to 10 minutes to draw blood and qi toward them. A lighted taper is placed inside the cup briefly, then removed; the cup is then placed on the skin, usually on the back. Because the flame has consumed the oxygen in the cup and a vacuum has been created, the cup will stick tightly to the skin, drawing up the skin as the cup cools. This is thought to increase the flow of blood and qi. Cupping is used to treat back or shoulder pain, influenza, the common cold, and other diseases.
The former practice of applying a heated cup to the skin and allowing it to cool, which causes swelling of the tissues beneath and an increase in the flow of blood in the area. This was thought to draw out harmful excess blood from diseased organs nearby and so promote healing. In wet cupping the skin was previously cut, so that blood would actually flow into the cup and could be removed.
Application to the skin of a glass or bamboo vessel from which air has been exhausted by heat or of a special suction apparatus in order to draw blood to the surface. This is done to produce counterirritation.
A technique known as percussion involves rhythmically striking the chest wall using cupped hands. The primary objective of this procedure is to dislodge and break up thick secretions within the lungs, facilitating their easier removal. Each segment of the lungs is subjected to percussion for a duration of one to two minutes.
Phlebotomy, an ancient technique, involves the application of a heated vessel to the skin, drawing blood to the surface. This procedure stimulates an inflammatory response, which is believed to provide relief for conditions such as bronchitis, asthma, and musculoskeletal pains. The localized bloodletting is thought to promote therapeutic effects by releasing certain substances and alleviating symptoms associated with these ailments.