Some.eople.lso get “needle cupping,” in which the therapist first inserts acupuncture needles and then puts cups over them. But cupping is not just for film stars and athletes ... cupping is highly beneficial for everyone. 3. In some cases, a small amount of blood letting loci; vein pricking is done first, using a pricking needle, and then the cup is applied over the site.  Their use can be traced back to ancient Indian Ayurveda practices and leeches are still sometimes used in modern medicine to restore circulation after surgery. They state that there is no evidence that cupping works any better than a placebo . Cupping is frequently used to treat early stage colds and flu, trauma, and muscle pain, especially in the back and shoulders. As the name implies, in this method your practitioner applies massage oil or cream on your skin in selected places, puts the cups over the areas to be treated and then slides them around that region of the body — most commonly the back. Some bruising along the site of the rim of the cup is expected. Variations of this treatment were used by ancient Egyptians, North American Indians, early Greeks, and in other Asian and European countries. They may be used by themselves or placed over an acupuncture needle. The cups are applied at room temperature, and there is some friction generated with moving cups, causing a small but significant amount of heat, especially if a warming oil is also used. It looks like something out of medieval alchemy, but Greta says, it is just an alternate method of treatment. 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. Former Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin has also previously posted pictures of herself going through a cupping therapy. In the 20th century arsenic was used in the first antibiotic treatment against syphilis, known as salvarsan, which was considered a magic bullet in the fight against the disease. Mimi Guarneri, MD, FCC, ABIHM, is boarded certified in cardiovascular disease, internal medicine, nuclear medicine, cupping and holistic medicine. See the latest news and share your comments with CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter . Consecutively, this method in its multiple forms spread into medicine throughout Asian and European civilizations. The cups are left in place anywhere from five to 20 minutes depending on the nature of the individual's condition. However, the American Cancer Society notes that “available scientific evidence does not support claims that cupping has any health benefits” and also that the treatment carries a small risk of burns. 2 Cupping is generally safe when done by trained health professionals on people who are otherwise healthy. 7 It is not recommended in people with health problems due to side effects. 7 Cupping is not recommended as a replacement for typical treatment. 7 Cupping may result in bruising, burns, pain, or skin infection. 7 Research suggests that cupping is harmful, especially in people who are thin or obese. citation needed According to Jack Faso 1997, cupping results in capillary expansion, excessive fluid accumulation in tissues, and the rupture of blood vessels. 8 Fire Cupping can sometimes result in minor to severe burns, and can lead to hospitalization and may even require skin grafting to repair the injury.

Dark circles may appear where the cups were placed because of rupture of the capillaries just under the skin, but are not the same as a bruise caused by blunt-force trauma. Your skin should look normal again within 10 days. Cupping should be done on fleshy areas of the body and should not be used on inflamed skin, where there is a high fever, convulsions or an increased tendency to bruise, or on the abdominal or lower back area during pregnancy. In it, he emphasized the value of this treatment, using cups made of bamboo or pottery, in alleviating headache of wind-cold type, bi syndrome of wind origin, dizziness, and abdominal pain.  Nowadays, cupping sets use suction to create the vacuum.  It dates back to ancient Egyptian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern cultures.