.>In order to allow easy movement of the glass cups along the skin, some oil is applied.  “Cupping brings fresh blood to the area, Greta says. In both of the radomized clinical trials, groups that received the cupping therapy reported more favourable effects in pain relief. Some say the technique increases blood flow and helps a person’s sore muscles heal. Cupping also is used on back, neck, shoulder and other musculoskeletal conditions. Cupping provides relief for many health conditions. The cupping cups were made of cattle horns with a valve mechanism in it to create an partial vacuum by sucking the air out. “There are two forms of cupping therapy,” Greta tells co-anchor Harry Smith. They have spoken about using cupping for various physical complaints as well as for relaxation. Some, however, are more sceptical of the benefits than others. Flames are never used near the skin and are not lit throughout the process of cupping, but rather are a means to create the heat that causes the suction within the small cups. The method was described in his book A Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies, in which the cups were actually animal horns, used for draining pustules.  One method involves swabbing rubbing alcohol onto the bottom of the cup, then lighting it and putting the cup immediately against the skin. Frequently, the practitioner will apply a lubricant to the skin before placing the cups, and then move the cups back and forth across certain area of the body. The earliest use of cupping that is recorded is from the famous Taoist alchemist and herbalist, Ge Hong 281–341 A.D..  There are different methods of cupping, including: During both types of cupping, your therapist will put a flammable substance such as alcohol, herbs, or paper in a cup and set it on fire. Or you might just try one to see how it goes. “So it tends to improve circulation. The chinese herbal remedies Chinese have been doing this since ancient times by using heat inside glass or bamboo cups. 

Plastic and glass are the most common materials used today, replacing the horn, pottery, bronze and bamboo cups used in earlier times. Tennis ace Andy Murray said he used cupping in conjunction with other treatments to relieve stiffness and to help address a back injury. The cups should only be moved over fleshy areas of the body. Sometimes, while the suction is active, the cup is moved, causing the skin and muscle to be pulled. It also helps open up the chest and benefit the lungs and can even benefit menstrual problems and digestive problems, too. “Cupping was more common,” says Totelin about the treatment which is still practice today in Chinese medicine.