Treatment for Lower Back Pain
Overview and Pathophysiology The lifetime prevalence of low back pain is reportedly as high as 84% and is the most common reason adults in the United States use complementary and alternative medicine. Acute LBP is defined as pain in the lumbosacral region, which has been present for less than 6 weeks. The condition is considered […]
An Introduction to Modified Cupping Therapy
In traditional Chinese glass cupping, the glass cup is placed on the patient’s skin after the cup is quickly heated with fire for one to two seconds. As the therapy cup cools, it creates a weak partial vacuum with maximum negative pressure of -150 mm Hg. Over 30 years, my father and I designed more […]
Treatment for Headaches
Overview and Pathophysiology 90% of all headaches are either migraine headaches, tension-type headaches, or a mixture of the two. The remaining 10% consists of disorders of tissues of the head and neck, sinuses, TMJs, dental structures, and soft tissues of trauma and post-trauma. Primary tumor, infection, and metastatic cancers constitute a small fraction of possible […]
Types and Methods of Cupping
Generally, dry and wet cupping are the two main types of cupping therapy. Dry cupping pulls the skin into the cup without scarifications, while in wet cupping the skin is lacerated or punctured with a lancet device so that blood is drawn into the cup. Traditional Chinese dry cupping involves the application of a glass […]
Treatment for Bell’s Palsy
Overview and Pathophysiology Bell’s palsy is also called idiopathic peripheral facial paralysis and affects the facial nerve (CN VII), which provides parasympathetic innervation to the submandibular salivary glands, sublingual salivary glands, and lacrimal glands, controls the muscles of facial expression, and conveys taste sensations from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue via sensory fibers. The […]
Cupping Therapy Marks and Explanations
Cupping therapy usually leaves a discoloration of the skin caused by bleeding from the ruptured capillaries. In traditional Chinese medicine, different skin discolorations suggest various diagnoses. For example, an intense red cupping mark signifies excess internal heat. Purplish red discoloration means damp heat. Bluish purple cupping marks indicate cold dampness. Cupping marks with an intense […]
Treatment for Ankle Sprains and Tears
Overview and Pathoanatomical Features The most common mechanisms of injury for a lateral ankle sprain is forefoot adduction and hindfoot inversion, and tibial external rotation with the ankle in plantar flexion. Anterior talofibular ligament has been found to be the weakest and the most commonly injured ligament, followed by calcaneofibular ligament and posterior talofibular ligament. […]
History of Cupping Therapy
Although the true origin of cupping still remains uncertain, the consensus is that the action of suction has been part of therapeutic efforts throughout human history. The application of suction cups is recorded in ancient Egyptian, Hindu, Greek, and Chinese medical writings. Ancient cultures used hollowed-out animal horns, bones, bamboo, gourds, and seashells to purge […]
Treatment for Neck Pain
Overview and Pathophysiology 30-50% of people in the U.S. experience neck pain at any given year. Most neck pain is the result of cervical para-spinal muscle spasm. Identifying the exact anatomical source is often difficult. Traumatic neck pain is most commonly associated with hyperextension syndrome (whiplash) which leads to as many as 40% of chronic […]
Ancient Theories of Cupping
This article will summarize three of the nine ancient and modern theories of cupping that are covered in my book, Ancient and Modern Cupping Therapy. The theories covered here are: Blood stagnation or Eohyeol Theory Meridian Cupping Theory Counterirritation Theory Blood stagnation or Eohyeol Theory In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), many symptoms and illnesses are […]