Other cupping techniques include utilizing a fire to remove oxygen from the cup causing suction and then utilizing a needle to puncture the skin, suction, and to allegedly release toxins from the punctured skin.
When cupping in the modern day, Snyder said practitioners usually take a plastic or glass cup as a suction. In more traditional practices, it is used with fire and bamboo cups, as Stepp explained. As a result of the increased blood flow, muscles get looser, and it can help with a range of mobility.
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And does it hurt? One study published in the journal PLOS One examined 61 people, finding those with chronic neck pain reported reductions in pain after 12 weeks of treatment.
When compared to a cohort of people who used a technique called Progressive Muscle Relaxation PMR , the cupping group reported less pain in the affected area when pressure was applied.
