Cupping and bleeding therapy is a 5000-year-old traditional Chinese medical practice that uses suction from cups placed on the skin to draw up blood and lymph. It is used to treat a variety of illnesses and stresses in a natural way without medicines. Cupping works by using flames or suction pumps to create a vacuum within cups that are placed on the body, which improves circulation and stimulates the body's natural healing processes. Wet cupping, where small cuts are made on the skin first, allows for more blood flow and is used to treat pain, stress, and improve immune function.

1. Cupping and Bleeding
Therapy
Douglas Dyber
Alfred State College

2. What is cupping?
• 5000 year old traditional Chinese medical practice
• Use of a vacuum within a cup to draw up blood and lymph
• Broad spectrum treatments for illness and stress
• Simple and cheap practice
• Natural practice with no medicines used

3. Common treatments of cupping
• Cupping has shown to help treat or relieve symptoms of:
• Cancer
• Paralysis
• Hemophilia
• Migraine
• Mild asthma
• It has also shown to help alleviate symptoms of Hodgkin’s disease

4. How it works
• Use of a glass, bamboo or even pottery cup and flames or suction
• The flames are put under or inside the cup to induce a sort of vacuum
to create a negative pressure within the cup, or a suction pump is
used to draw out the air within the cup
• The cup is then placed on the desired portion of the body
• The process works to strengthen and preserve someone's health

5. Benefits
• Cupping improves circulation to localized areas of the body
• Stimulates the bodies natural healing process or ability to resist illness
• Works in conjunction with other medical practices to relieve
symptoms and increase quality of life

6. What is bleeding?
• Usually done with cupping
• Small cuts or incisions are made on the surface of the skin
• Allows for more blood flow to the surface of the skin

7. Wet Cupping
• Use of cupping with bleeding
• Vacuum cups are then applied to draw out more blood or and
spiritual ailments

8. Benefits of wet cupping
• Like dry cupping, or bloodless cupping
• Improved natural immune resistance capabilities
• Increases blood circulation
• Pain relief
• Stress relief

9. References
• PCOM. (2017, December 18). The Many Benefits of Chinese Cupping. Retrieved
from https://www.pacificcollege.edu/news/blog/2014/09/20/many-
benefits-chinese-cupping
• Guarneri, M., & Oberg, E. (n.d.). Cupping Therapy Side Effects, Benefits &
Types. Retrieved from
https://www.medicinenet.com/cupping/article.htm#where_did_
cupping_come_from
• Micozzi, M.S. (2015). Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative
Medicine. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier
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