Cupping Therapy — Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science

Cupping was used every day as medicine throughout history all over the world including in Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, Persia and many other civilizations.

Cupping therapy is one of those treatments that looks dramatic but feels surprisingly good. The round marks it leaves behind may catch attention, but the deeper effect is about release — helping the body move stagnation, ease tension, and clear what Chinese medicine calls pathogenic factors.

Though it’s most closely associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine today, cupping has been practiced around the world for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptian papyrus texts from 1500 BCE describe it for treating fever and pain. Greek physicians like Hippocrates recommended it for musculoskeletal issues. Variations have existed in traditional Arabic, Persian, Eastern European, and African healing systems — using everything from animal horns to glass, bamboo, and even metal cups.

The form changes, but the principle is the same: create suction to move what’s stuck. Each tradition recognized that stagnation — whether of blood, qi, or energy — leads to pain and illness, and that restoring movement restores health.

The Traditional View

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, cupping moves stagnant qi and blood, releasing what’s called “wind-cold” or “damp” from the body.When a cup is applied to the skin, the suction draws blood to the surface, clears blockages, and allows new, oxygen-rich blood to nourish the tissues.

Practitioners often say cupping “opens the pores and releases wind,” meaning it helps the body expel external influences — like cold or damp — that can lodge in the muscles and joints.

Different techniques are used for different goals:

• Stationary cupping: cups stay in one place for deep stagnation or chronic pain.

• Sliding cupping: cups glide along the meridians to move qi and release tight fascia.

• Flash cupping: cups are placed and removed quickly to vent heat or clear early-stage colds.

The color of the marks often tells a story. Darker or more purple spots suggest deeper stagnation, while lighter ones fade more quickly as circulation improves.

The Modern Explanation

From a biomedical perspective, cupping increases microcirculation and triggers the body’s natural healing response. The mild negative pressure:

• Expands capillaries and improves blood flow to the area

• Promotes lymphatic drainage and reduces inflammation

• Stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping the body shift from “fight or flight” into “rest and repair”

The round marks are not bruises — they’re a visible sign of increased blood flow and temporary capillary expansion. Most fade within a few days as circulation normalizes and metabolic waste clears.

Scientific studies have shown cupping may:

• Reduce pain and stiffness in muscles and joints

• Improve range of motion and tissue elasticity

• Support recovery for athletes

• Ease tension headaches and stress-related conditions

So while ancient healers spoke of qi, and modern research speaks of blood flow and inflammation, they’re describing the same thing in different languages: the renewal that comes from restoring flow.

What It Feels Like

During treatment, you’ll feel a firm pulling sensation — strong but not painful. Some describe it as a deep, pleasant stretch from the inside out.Afterward, the body often feels looser, lighter, and more open. The marks, if they appear, fade within days as the tissue rebalances.

Bridging Old and New

Cupping is a rare practice that spans continents and millennia — a technique so simple and effective that it arose independently in many cultures. Whether described as moving qi, balancing humors, or improving circulation, it’s always been about the same thing: helping the body release what it’s been holding onto.

At its heart, cupping is not about the marks — it’s about movement, renewal, and relief. When stagnation clears, the body remembers how to heal itself.