Cupping

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, cupping is used in many different ways: to relieve aching muscles, assess the extent of damage to blood flow caused by tension or injury, to clear congestion left by viral toxins or manage asthma symptoms, among others.

One or more cups are applied to the skin with the use of suction and then either left in position or moved gently along the length of painful muscles and tissues. This stretches the muscles by  gently lifting them rather than applying pressing as is the case with massage. Other techniques  are often used in conjunction with cupping such as the application of oils, or the use of guasha  and Tuina, both forms of Chinese remedial massage.