Cupping is a Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) technique widely used for both treatment and health maintenance. This practice not only relieves pain but is also effective in addressing various ailments. Cupping gained international attention during the 2016 Olympics when American swimming legend Michael Phelps sported deep purple circular marks on his body. Since then, the therapy has surged in popularity worldwide as a therapeutic method.
On the "Health 1+1" program, Jonathan Liu, director of the Kangmei Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic in Canada, explained that cupping therapy promotes blood circulation, regulates metabolism, and helps eliminate toxins from the body.
Excessive excitation of the central nervous system (CNS) can suppress the peripheral nervous system (PNS), and vice versa, Liu said. In today's fast-paced lifestyle, many people experience an overactive CNS, which often leads to PNS suppression.
Cupping therapy can quickly regulate both local and overall metabolism, helping to normalize the body's temperature control center and allowing symptoms of air-conditioning sickness to gradually subside, Liu said.