Cupping therapy is currently becoming popular ever since Olympic athletes were spotted with cupping marks on their backs and shoulders. Some examples of Olympic winners are Michael Phelps, who was seen swimming with cupping marks on his shoulders. Aside from seeing many celebrities with these cupping marks, it is still known to be a very effective way to treat pain. Even though these blisters and bruise marks may look very painful, they are actually harmless and common when you start cupping therapy.
Despite the fact that these blisters look dangerous, they are not. The blisters also disappear and heal quite quickly. The blisters are not a negative thing, as most people would associate it with. Rather, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, these blisters occur when toxins are being drained from your body. The blisters signal that the cupping therapy is actually working. These blisters will be especially apparent if you are using cupping therapy to treat chest congestion.
For those who still feel uneasy about the blisters and bruises that cupping therapy may leave on the skin, they can always ask for the cups to be placed on the skin for a shorter period of time. This would typically be around 1-5 minutes, which will rarely leave any visible blisters on the skin. However it is important to keep in mind that by leaving the cups on the skin for a shorter period of time will not make the treatment as effective.
Did you know that cupping blisters can be popped with acupuncture needles? Getting acupuncture done after cupping is ideal for this reason. Since the needles used for acupuncture are very small and sterile, they are able to reduce the size of the bruises. Studies conducted about cupping blisters have also noted that these blisters are not harmful or painful, as long as they get treated as a normal wound. Once they are popped and drained, a medical professional should clean the blister with an antiseptic tool, and then cover it with a bandage. In addition, this study showed that blisters were more common on older patients and people with a high temperature.
What Blisters Mean
Blisters can appear on your skin if there is a lot of dampness in your body, however they can also be a symptom from your practitioner not being careful enough during a treatment. It is important to note again that blisters are normal and they should not cause you any fear. However, they are slightly abnormal because a practitioner should not be the one to cause blisters to appear, as well as make the patient leave their cupping therapy with blisters on their body.
How to Avoid Blisters
- Find a trusted professional. Professional practitioners can avoid blisters by making sure that the cups don’t stay on the body too long, and that they are not too hot on your skin. They should also avoid placing cups on sensitive areas, and never place them on damaged skin.
- Try silicone or plastic cups at home first, which is a better alternative if you have sensitive skin. Silicone cups are user-friendly since you can always monitor your skin during treatment. Silicone cups are also less prone to giving profound blisters as opposed to fire or glass cupping.
What to do if you get blisters
- Drain,
- Disinfect and
- Cover the blisters. Make sure you change the bandage often. If you see a blister, take these precautions, and always talk to your practitioner as soon as you can for professional advice.
Lierre.ca, the number one cupping supplier in Canada, offers a wide selection of silicone cupping sets, made from high grade silicone, at reasonable price. You can find popular facial cupping sets, transparent clear cupping sets, silicone cupping sets for the body, and cupping sets for children. The silicone cups from Lierre.ca are made from a material that is odorless, flexible, watertight, and durable. These qualities ensure that these silicone cups are pliable and soft, making them easy to squeeze, which allows practitioners to control the degree of suction. They are also thick enough to provide superior adherence, despite being very flexible.
References
Yun, Hye-Yeon & Kwon, Sun-Oh & Kim, Seung-Tae & Park, Hi-Joon & Hahm, Dae-Hyun & Lee, Hye-Jung. (2011). The Study of Blister Caused by Cupping Therapy. Korean Journal of Acupuncture. 28. Cupping Therapy: What Causes Blisters? https://www.lierre.ca/blogs/cupping-supplies/cupping-therapy-what-causes-blisters