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Cupping: Suctioning Out Pain
Learn a bit about what cupping does for the body—and where it might’ve come from—with Groupon’s brief introduction.
Cupping is an ancient holistic-healing technique whose benefits are perhaps more immediate and apparent than most. During a session, therapists apply glass or bamboo cups directly to the patient’s skin, often heating the base of the cups to create a vacuum. Moving the cups lifts the muscles and creates light suction, causing a sensation similar to a massage. This treatment is often used in tandem with acupuncture to relieve pain and increase circulation.
The theory behind skin-suctioning therapy dates back to prehistoric times. Though the country of its origin is unknown—some sources attribute it to China, while others credit Babylon—its use was widely recorded in the ancient world. Therapist and cupping historian Bruce Bentley attributes its prevalence to the instinctual human behavior of sucking on a wound to draw out its poisons. As time went on, people began hollowing out animal horns to create a similar effect, and eventually, began employing the cups still in use today.