Cupping Therapy is a method of applying acupressure by creating

  a vacuum at small areas on the patient's skin.

 

It is a TCM technique that has been used for several thousand

  years in China; but also used in ancient Egypt, Europe and even

  the USA.

 

Cups once used to be of bamboo or horn, but now are usually of

  plastic or glass. Various shapes are used including balls or bells.

 

Cup size ranges from 1 - 3 inches (25 - 76 mm) across the opening.

 

Vacuum creation methods include:

  Heating: the cup or the air inside it is heated with an open flame or in

    a bath in hot scented oils, then placed against the skin. As the air

    inside the cup cools, it contracts and draws the skin slightly into

    the cup.

  Mechanical suction: a pump acting through a valve at the top of

    the cup.

  Screw piston mechanism: this is part of the cup design.  

  Rubber cups: that squeeze the air out and adapt to uneven or

    bony surfaces.