What are the misunderstandings about cupping in traditional Chinese medicine?

　　Cupping uses alcohol to instantly burn in the cup, burning out the air in the cup, creating a negative pressure state in the cup, so that it can be adsorbed on the body surface, usually in areas with thick muscles. The cupping process can promote local blood circulation, accelerate metabolism, promote recovery from exercise fatigue, and even treat soft tissue injuries.

　　Cupping therapy has a long history in our country. Nowadays, people have three major misunderstandings about cupping in traditional Chinese medicine.

　　1. Is the longer the cupping time, the better? No!

　　Some patients had a lot of blisters in the area where the cupping was performed. They actually said that this was the removal of "dampness evil" and seemed to enjoy it. In fact, this understanding is a misunderstanding. In fact, this

　　2. Is cupping suitable for everyone? No!

　　Clinically, patients with bleeding tendencies, edema, skin damage and ulceration are not suitable for cupping. Friends who are too thin may not be able to enjoy cupping because the muscles are too thin and the cup cannot be absorbed. In addition, areas such as large blood vessels and scars are not suitable for cupping.

　　The separation of the epidermis and dermis caused by cupping for too long is not worth advocating, especially in summer. Once the blisters burst, infection can easily occur.

　　3. Is it okay if there are purple marks during cupping?

　　This is also a misunderstanding. Purple marks from cupping appear as follows: The negative pressure during cupping will cause a rapid increase in blood perfusion, causing the blood vessels in the area to rapidly and passively expand. Most of these expanded blood vessels are small capillaries. For older people or those who lack exercise, the fragility of the capillaries on the body surface may increase. In this way, when blood is poured in quickly, it will cause some capillaries to rupture, resulting in subcutaneous bleeding. This is the truth behind the formation of purple marks. Therefore, whether there is a purple mark or not should be allowed to happen naturally. It doesn’t matter if it appears, but there is no need to pursue the purple mark. This kind of mark will usually disappear automatically in about a week.

　　In addition, the room must be kept warm during cupping to avoid catching a cold, and the patient should be instructed not to move to prevent the cup from falling off. At the same time, the patient's condition should be observed at any time during cupping. If pain or discomfort occurs, the negative pressure should be adjusted immediately or the cup should be lifted and re-adsorbed. If conditions permit, you should try to go to the hospital to seek professional help so that treatment can be achieved safely and effectively.

　　What are the benefits of cupping?

　　1. Through cupping, the moisture and coldness in the body can be penetrated through the skin tissue, thereby eliminating evil spirits and making people feel more energetic.

　　2. Because the meridians, acupuncture points and internal organs of the body are all connected, the external suction will stimulate the acupuncture points on the surface of the body, and then through the meridians of muscles and bones, the internal organs of the human body can be regulated accordingly, allowing people to have smooth flow of qi and blood and strengthen the body.

　　3. Cupping also has certain effects on local tissue damage, lumbar disc herniation and other symptoms. Cupping performed regularly over a long period of time can reduce pain and relieve symptoms.

　　4. Cupping can assist weight loss, and cupping weight loss is not easy to rebound.

　　5. Cupping can relieve dysmenorrhea. Cupping on the Zhongji and Tianshu points of the abdomen can effectively relieve dysmenorrhea.

　　What should I pay attention to when doing cupping?

　　1. Take a shower two hours after cupping

　　When cupping, some people extend the cupping time as much as possible, thinking that they can achieve better therapeutic effects. However, experts remind that cupping time is best controlled within 10 minutes or less. If the time is too long, blistering, ulceration or even infection may occur in the cupping area.

　　2. Find the correct acupuncture points for cupping

　　When cupping at home, you must first pay attention to whether the location is correct. Cupping is not just about cupping where there is pain. Traditional Chinese medicine pays attention to syndrome differentiation and treatment. In addition to cupping the acupoints in the painful area, it is also necessary to cup the acupoints related to the pain to achieve the effect. If some patients have back pain, they may also need cupping on acupoints on their legs.