0:02 cupping therapy has gained significant
0:05 attention particularly due to its use by
0:07 high-profile athletes but does this
0:09 ancient healing technique actually
0:12 provide effective outcomes in this video
0:14 we'll dive into cupping therapy
0:17 exploring what it is how it works and
0:19 the scientific evidence supporting its
0:21 use I'll also give you my
0:23 recommendations on whether this
0:25 treatment can transform your pain
0:27 management or if it's a passing Trend
0:30 not worth your time hey everyone Dr ping
0:32 here cupping therapy has roots in
0:35 traditional Chinese medicine going back
0:37 thousands of years but has evolved into
0:39 various forms practiced worldwide
0:42 initially cupping primarily targeted
0:45 muscular skeletal problems pain and body
0:47 tension nowadays its application has
0:49 expanded to include reducing
0:52 inflammation promoting relaxation and
0:55 enhancing recovery in sports cupping
0:57 therapy involves placing cups on the
1:00 skin surface to create a vacuum or
1:02 suction effect this suction can be
1:04 achieved through different methods with
1:07 two primary techniques being used today
1:09 wet cupping and dry cupping wet cupping
1:12 is a traditional therapeutic practice
1:14 that involves a combination of cupping
1:17 and controlled blood leing this process
1:19 involves very shallow incisions on the
1:22 skin just enough to break the skin
1:24 surface to cause bleeding the suction
1:26 cups are then placed over the incisions
1:29 to draw out a small amount of blood in
1:32 into the cups practitioners believe that
1:34 wet cupping helps to remove toxins from
1:37 the body which in turn improves overall
1:40 health dry cupping on the other hand
1:43 doesn't involve any incisions instead
1:45 the cups create a suction force that
1:48 lifts the skin and underlying tissues
1:50 the cups can be stationary or moved
1:52 around on the skin surface depending on
1:55 the technique and therapeutic goals
1:57 mechanisms of action for cupping therapy
1:59 are still being researched but there are
2:02 several theories that attempt to explain
2:04 how it works one of the primary
2:07 hypotheses is that cupping therapy can
2:09 enhance blood circulation the suction
2:11 generated by the cups is thought to
2:14 enhance blood flow to the targeted area
2:16 potentially aiding in delivering oxygen
2:18 and nutrients to tissues facilitating
2:20 the removal of metabolic waste and
2:23 supporting the natural healing processes
2:25 additionally cupping is believed to
2:27 alleviate muscle tension and tightness
2:29 the suction created can potentially
2:31 loosen restrictions and adhesions in the
2:34 muscles and fascia potentially resulting
2:36 in an improved range of motion and
2:39 decreased pain cing therapy is most
2:41 commonly used to treat muscular skeletal
2:43 pain and recent clinical trials provide
2:45 some evidence supporting its
2:48 Effectiveness in the case of knee
2:50 osteoarthritis there is some evidence
2:52 indicating that cupping therapy May
2:55 improve pain and physical function
2:58 similar findings apply to neck and low
3:00 back pain several studies suggest that
3:02 cupping therapy can effectively reduce
3:04 pain in patients with chronic neck and
3:07 low back issues however other research
3:09 studies indicate that cupping therapy's
3:11 Effectiveness is comparable to Sham or
3:14 Placebo treatments suggesting that its
3:16 benefits might not be consistent across
3:19 all cases ancient Chinese practices also
3:21 tout cupping for its
3:23 anti-inflammatory effects there is
3:24 emerging evidence suggesting that
3:27 cupping stimulates the release of
3:29 anti-inflammatory pyocin and reduces is
3:32 the production of pro-inflammatory
3:34 molecules this could lead to decreased
3:37 inflammation and Associated pain relief
3:39 furthermore cupping therapy is believed
3:41 to exert both localized and systemic
3:44 effects on the body locally it can
3:46 Target specific areas such as relieving
3:48 sore muscles or tightness systemically
3:51 its potential to enhance circulation and
3:53 elicit responses from the nervous system
3:55 may offer broader health benefits
3:57 including improving overall well-being
3:59 and potentially boosting the immune
4:01 system system again there is some
4:03 clinical trial evidence for this one
4:06 study found that wet cupping can help
4:08 reduce blood pressure in hypertensive
4:11 patients for up to 4 weeks another study
4:12 found that as a complimentary
4:15 intervention cupping may help reduce
4:17 waste circumference body weight body
4:19 mass index and low density lipoprotein
4:22 cholesterol in patients with metabolic
4:24 syndrome now it's important to note that
4:26 Western medicine has only recently begun
4:28 conducting clinical trials on
4:30 alternative medicine practice IES like
4:32 cupping a significant critique of the
4:35 studies I've discussed is their small
4:37 sample sizes and the generally weak
4:39 evidence which carries a high risk of
4:42 bias however the absence of strong
4:44 clinical trial evidence does not
4:46 necessarily imply that cupping therapy
4:49 is ineffective its long-standing use
4:51 over thousands of years across different
4:53 cultures suggests its enduring relevance
4:56 and potential benefits in my own
4:58 practice patient feedback on cupping
5:01 therapy has been mixed some people swear
5:03 by it and say it is much more effective
5:05 than getting a massage or seeing a
5:07 physical therapist others have more
5:10 reserved responses noting limited to no
5:12 benefits I've also had many competitive
5:15 athletes report that cupping helps relax
5:17 their muscles and AIDS in recovery much
5:19 more effectively than other methods like
5:22 soft tissue massage or t units I think
5:24 the key thing to keep in mind is that
5:27 cupping is a relatively safe procedure
5:29 while there is some data to suggest that
5:31 cup treatments result in higher rates of
5:34 Adverse Events most of these are skin
5:36 related conditions such as irritation
5:39 bruising soreness or burns the most
5:41 recognizable side effect is the circular
5:43 bruise marks on the skin which are
5:45 typically benign and temporary wet
5:47 cupping introduces additional risks due
5:50 to skin incisions which can increase the
5:52 likelihood of infections furthermore A
5:54 specific group of patients who need to
5:56 be cautious about cupping therapy
5:59 includes those on anti-coagulants or
6:00 those with bleeding disorders as they
6:03 are at higher risk for complications the
6:05 real benefit of cupping is that it is a
6:07 modality that can potentially alleviate
6:10 pain while also reducing Reliance on
6:12 medications like ibuprofen or Naproxin
6:14 which have their own side effects
6:17 cupping is probably best used as an
6:19 adjunctive treatment used in conjunction
6:21 with standard care rather than as a
6:24 standalone therapy so is cupping a
6:26 suitable treatment for everyone probably
6:28 not I think the novelty of the treatment
6:31 and the distinct Ive circular bruises it
6:33 leaves might deter some individuals
6:35 however it could be a worthwhile option
6:37 for those seeking new methods for
6:40 Effective pain relief lastly it's
6:41 important to acknowledge that both
6:43 traditional Chinese medicine and
6:46 ayurvedic medicine possess a rich
6:48 repository of knowledge if you are
6:50 suffering from pain or inflammation you
6:52 should know that there is another
6:54 supplement that has been used for
6:56 hundreds of years and has been shown to
6:58 have powerful effects similar to
7:00 ibuprofen but with without any of the
7:02 side effects I'll reveal what it is in
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