Herbal Medicine: Open Access

Five element cupping - how to address the root of the problem with silicone cupping

9^th International Conference on Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine
August 20-21, 2018 Dublin, Ireland

Lisa Dowling

Meridian Therapy Institute, Canada

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Herb Med

DOI: 10.21767/2472-0151-C1-003

Abstract

Most TCM practitioners and Acupuncturists are educated to use cupping as a means of moving Qi and blood stagnation in the body. Most of the techniques learned involve treatment on the back and sometimes the legs. The instruments that are used in schools are fire cupping with glass cups and plastic pump and gun cups. Silicone cups are often not considered, yet they can be utilized in a very different way to address issue that lies in the organs and channels. This leads to dramatic and lasting changes in the body systems. Using silicone cups as a tool creates the possibility to adjust the suction within the cups to a very precise level which enables practitioners to work in a very subtle and gentle way and allows for treatment on sensitive areas, such as the hara (abdomen). Silicone cups also allows practitioner to move the patients body, to increase joint mobility, perform stretches and open channels to allow the better flow of Qi. The other unique quality of silicone cups, if properly applied at the correct level, is that the practitioner can feel the blockages under the surface of the tissue in an incredibly clear and powerful way. It is always easier to treat something when we can find it. What I have noticed in my clinic is when I utilize silicone cups to provide abdominal treatment is that clients have powerful shifts in their body, including a dramatic increase in bowel motility, release of endometrium and a decrease in inflammation and a general sense of lightness of being. I see digestive issues being greatly reduced, fertility and premenstrual symptoms resloving themselves and a lot of very happy customers. The Hara (abdomen) is one of the least treated areas of the body with cupping. For digestive conditions, including fatty liver, food stagnation and common digestive ailments like leaky gut syndrome, Colitis, Chrohn’s, IBS and most other gut pain and dysfunction. The same can be said for the female reproductive system, where we can treat Endometriosis, Polycyctic Ovary Syndrome and other causes of Infertility. Generally the way cupping is applied becomes too strong to work on these more delicate body areas. This is an opportunity to see cupping from a different lens and consider a new perspective for this anceint modality. Cupping is medicine that in its simplest form is very effective. Learning to treat the body, where it needs to be treated and at the depth where the disharmony lies is an art form and silicone cups are a great tool. Lisa Dowling has taught silicone cupping to over 600 students who are receiving simlilar results in their practice and the demand for cupping is increasing. Massage therapists are using silicone cups and more moving cupping techniques with their patients. Many TCM practitioners and acupuncturists have not adapted cupping to be used as more of a manual therapy tool in their practice. To add these manual techniques to the unique understanding of the body that practitioners of East Asian Medicine have made this an incredible merging of the ancient and modern worlds. This presentation will address silicone cupping techniques to address deeper organ and meridian treatment. A discussion on how to address each of the individual meridians based on their energetic properties, as well as effective treatments directly on the abdomen to increase Parasympathetic Nervous System function; Digestive and Reproductive function. We look forward for more and more practitioners understanding the versatility and effectiveness of cupping as this modality comes into its own.

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