Featured in Heal Scotland
February 25 2023
"So what actually is Autoimmune Disease?
The immune system usually guards against bacteria and viruses. When it senses these foreign invaders, it sends out an army of fighter cells to attack them. Usually, the immune system can tell the difference between foreign cells and your own cells. In an autoimmune disease, the immune system mistakes part of your body, like your joints or skin, as foreign. It releases proteins called autoantibodies that attack healthy cells. Some autoimmune diseases target only one organ. Type 1 diabetes damages the pancreas. Other diseases, like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or lupus, can affect the whole body."
Cupping Therapy Now Available
Cupping is a therapy that involves placing cups on the skin to create suction. This suction is thought to improve the flow of energy in the body and facilitate healing.
One of the oldest medical texts to mention this therapy. Eber’s papyrus (1550 B.C.) from Ancient Egypt, though cupping is a part of many ancient healing systems, including Chinese, Unani, traditional Korean, and Tibetan.
Greek physician Hippocrates, often referred to as the “father” of medicine, even compiled descriptions of cupping techniques. These days, cupping therapy is usually found as a treatment offered by practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Proponents believe the suction helps facilitate the flow of “qi” in the body. Qi is a Chinese word meaning life force.
Many believe that cupping helps balance Yin and Yang, or the negative and positive, within the body. Restoring balance between these two extremes is thought to help with the body’s resistance to pathogens as well as its ability to increase blood flow and reduce pain.
Cupping increases blood circulation to the area where the cups are placed. This may relieve muscle tension, which can improve overall blood flow and promote cell repair. It may also help form new connective tissues and create new blood vessels in the tissue.
People use cupping to complement their care for a host of symptoms and conditions.
There is a growing body of research digging into how and why cupping works
A 2018 review of studies noted that cupping therapy has reported benefits for a variety of conditions that can be categorized as either localised or systematic diseases.
Cupping is thought to alleviate symptoms by promoting peripheral (close to the skin) blood circulation and improving immunity.
According to the 2018 review, the effects of cupping therapy include:
promoting the skin’s blood flow
changing the skin’s biomechanical properties
increasing pain thresholds
improving local anaerobic (without oxygen) metabolism
boosting cellular immunity
A 2019 study noted that no single theory exists to explain the whole effects of cupping, but some theories include:
altering pain signal processing
using counter-irritation, or pain to reduce pain
stimulating increased blood circulation through the release of nitric oxide
stimulating the immune system with artificial local inflammation
increasing the flow of lymph in the lymphatic system
Research also states that cupping may remove toxins by stimulating the immune response, both locally and systemically. Cupping may also have a positive effect on the lymphatic system, which is partially responsible for eliminating your body’s waste. When the flow of lymph is interrupted, it can cause fluid build up and prevent the body from properly eliminating toxins.
This therapy has been in my awareness for some time and I am pleased to be able to share it with you shortly.
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