Types of cupping therapy
The use of cupping therapy differs from time to time, and from culture to culture with tendency to use the available tools and materials in the surrounding culture. This is the main reason the cup material is changing through the years. Examples of cup material include:
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- Bamboo cups
- Ceramic cups
- Pottery and clay cups
- Glass cups
- Disposable plastic cups
There are multiple types of cupping therapy, but the most common types are wet and dry cupping.
Dry cupping
One of the most popular types of cupping therapy, in which a hot cup is applied to patient’s skin on specific sites, then the skin is suctioned inside the cup, and the cup stay in place from five to ten minutes. This technique increases the blood flow and circulation in the cupped location.
Wet cupping
It is a common type of cupping therapy, especially in Arabic and Islamic countries and known as Al-Hijama. In wet cupping, the therapist makes a small skin incision in the patient’s skin before applying the hot cup, later the blood would be drained from the skin incision into the cup.
In a pilot study by Umar et al. to evaluate the effects of wet cupping therapy in treatment of heavy metal toxicity. The results showed that, wet cupping could reduce the heavy metal toxicity of the blood, and even the levels of the heavy metals did not increase after the treatment. They founded also that treatment of wet cupping therapy could induce the excretion of these heavy metals outside the body.
Fire cupping
In fire cupping therapy, the therapist allows a small flame of fire inside the cup, this fire heats the cup up and then the cup is placed quickly on the patient’s skin.
This type of cupping therapy is recommended for treating musculoskeletal pains. This type can cause a skin burn to the patient. In a study by Sagi et al., they founded an increased risk of burns in patients undergoing fire cupping technique.
Massage cupping
In this technique, a skin oil is applied, then a cup is placed on the skin, and moved very quickly in a planned spots to relief muscle tension and enhance relaxation.
Flash cupping
In this type of cupping therapy, there are a quick movement of the cups on and off the patient’s skin in a repetitive movement. This technique increases the blood flow over large area of the patient’s skin.
Miscellaneous
There are other techniques of cupping therapy includes:
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- Deep cupping
- Liquid cupping
- Acupuncture cupping
- Hot needle cupping
- Facial cupping
