Eastern Medicine

Cupping is a method of traditional medicine for diseases associated with local congestion. While it may cause a temporary red spot, cupping creates a small vacuum combined with heat, which is applied directly to the skin. It draws skin up into the jar, creating an area of blood stasis, and it temporarily turns the skin bright red or even bruises it, apparently indicating the degree of stagnation and toxins in the blood.

How Chinese Medicine Cupping Has Been Used

Some experts have used cupping to drain postulating sores. But since then, it has been used to treat consumptive and rheumatic diseases, and while bamboo jars have been used in the past, most use glass jars and occasionally bamboo jars now.

It has been used to treat arthritis, eliminating the pain, abdominal pain, stomachaches, indigestion, headaches, hypertension, the common cold, coughs, low back pain, painful menstruation, insect bites, and poisonous snake bites.

Possible Dangers of Cupping

Cupping has its benefits. But not everybody should use it. Cupping should not be used if you are experiencing a high fever or if you have problems with convulsions, cramps, allergic skin conditions, or ulcerated sores. It can only do so much, and if you for example have cancer, it’s probably not going to help you to treat the problem. It should not be used on so muscle tissue, and it should not be used on the abdomen or lower back of pregnant women due to the risk to the fetus.

But risks or not, the best thing that I can tell you about cupping is to use a solid and reputable practitioner. Use someone who actually knows what they are doing. It lowers the risk of infection, and it will help you to get more successful results. And a good practitioner will obviously know if you should or should not use cupping in the first place.

Known as Tui na, Chinese massage is commonly used in combination with acupuncture, moxiibustion, fire cupping Chinese herbalism, tai chi, and qigong. It is a hands on body treatment that is commonly used by Chinese Taoists and martial arts practitioners for better relaxation and wellbeing, and it is thought to balance the body and the 8 principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Many traditional Chinese schools have been known to teach tui na to their students, mostly for the treatment of chronic pain and temporary injury, and it is also used in combination with anma, another form of Chinese massage. It has even been used on infants and small children.

So where did Chinese massage originate?

Tui na has its origins in the Shang Dynasty, specifically around 1700BC. Ancient inscriptions show that it was traditionally used on infants and small children, and it was specifically used to treat digestive conditions in people of all ages. One famous physician of the Han Dynasty in 206 BC wrote, “As soon as the heavy sensation of the limbs is felt, Daoyin, Tui na, Zhenjiu, and Gaomo, all of which are therapeutic methods, are carried out in order to prevent…..the disease from gaining a start.”

Now, the art of Tui na is taught in China, Korea, Japan, and many other Asian countries. It is an occupation that is accepted in Japan for the treatment of those with disabilities, and many blind people go in for regular tui na treatment.

Like anything else, there are good acupuncturists and bad acupuncturists. I’m not going to divide practitioners by race, but rather education. Some take the time to learn, and the best way to tell which works are better is by customer reviews, feedback from your friends who have already used that practitioner, and your own experience.

Acupuncture for Back Pain Works

When used properly, acupuncture for back pain, headaches, and other similar problems actually works! The idea is that it targets stress points, though the full mechanism is not necessarily understood. Several major studies have shown that acupuncture can relieve chronic back pain and improve daily function, which is not all in the mind. The pain relief lasts, and even skeptics have been pleased when it’s done right.

It uses very thin needles to target strategic points on the body. It’s thought to balance the flow of energy through the body, targeting the “life force” also known as qi or chi. But this is all theoretical, and obviously, there’s no way to measure “chi.”

Scientists Don’t Fully Understand Why It Works

Scientists don’t fully understand how or why acupuncture works to change the amount of pain you feel. Studies have found that it effects the sham (minimal or simulated) acupuncture used also works, using toothpicks instead of thin needles. But it’s possible that it affects the surface pressure. Both acupuncture and ironically named sham acupuncture seem to work.

Untrained Acupuncture

If your practitioner does not know what he or she is doing, there are obvious risks involved. But the biggest risk is soreness, possible infections, bleeding, or bruising at the needle site. And some practitioners will exaggerate the benefits. Acupuncture is not a cure-all, and even when done right, it doesn’t always eliminate all pain. If back pain doesn’t begin to improve within a few weeks, it’s not for you. But a bad practitioner won’t tell you this, stringing you along for as long as possible. But your doctor can generally refer you to a good practitioner.

Green tea is one of the oldest forms of Eastern medicine, and it has been well studied for over a decade. It has been used to lower cholesterol, prevent type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and more! And some even say that it staves off dementia. Green tea has been studied over the past 20 years. But it has been used for thousands of years by ancient Chinese herbalists.

How Does Green Tea Work?

Green tea it rich in a powerful antioxidant called EGCG. EGCG eliminates harmful free radicals, and it is the most abundant catechin found in tea among other plants. EGCG has therapeutic properties for many disorders, and it is the component behind most of the benefits associated with green tea. Interestingly, it is found in green tea, but not black tea.

Fat Burning & Green Tea

Green tea is also rich in caffeine, which is one of the most prevalent and commonly used fat burners in the industry. It is found in its base form as well as the buffered Dicaffeine malate and the more concentrated caffeine anhydrous. But when used in green tea, this form of caffeine simply comes with other benefits.

Green Tea & Tooth Decay

While green tea is far better known for its heart healthy benefits, it has also been associated with tooth decay. Just as it destroys bacteria and free radicals found in other areas of the body, green tea also eliminates the bacteria that can cause tooth decay and dental plaque. Green tea can also be found in skin creams, acne fighters, wrinkle creams, and many other skincare products.

Green Tea Side Effects

So far, the only side effect commonly associated with green tea is insomnia, due to the fact that green tea does use caffeine. However, green tea uses less caffeine than a cup of coffee, and side effects are not nearly as common.