Briefly introduce the principle of cupping therapy:

Cupping method is also known as "fire can gas" "suction tube therapy", the ancient name "horn method". This is a kind of cups and cans as a tool, through the heat to exhaust the air to generate negative pressure, so that suction on the skin, resulting in a phenomenon of blood depression of a kind of therapy. Ancient physicians used it to absorb blood and discharge pus when treating sores and abscesses, and later expanded its application to internal diseases such as consumption and rheumatism. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, due to the continuous improvement of the method, so that the cupping therapy has a new development, further expanding the scope of treatment, and become an important therapy in the treatment of acupuncture and moxibustion.

The mechanism of cupping

1. Negative pressure scholars at home and abroad found that: the human body in the negative pressure of the fire canister suction, the skin surface has a large number of bubbles overflowing, thus strengthening the gas exchange of local tissues. Through the examination, it is also observed that: negative pressure makes the local capillary permeability changes and capillary rupture, a small amount of blood into the tissue gap, thus producing blood stasis, red blood cells are damaged, hemoglobin release, the emergence of the phenomenon of autolytic hemolysis. In the body's self-adjustment, it produces the effects of promoting blood circulation, relaxing tendons and collaterals, relieving swelling and pain, dispelling wind and removing dampness, and so on, acting as a kind of benign stimulus to promote the restoration of its normal function.

2. Warm effect Cupping has warm stimulation effect on the local skin, which is most obvious with the big fire pot, water pot and medicine pot. Warm and hot stimulation can expand blood vessels, promote local blood circulation, improve congestion, strengthen metabolism, accelerate the discharge of body wastes and toxins, change the nutritional state of local tissues, enhance the permeability of blood vessel walls, enhance the phagocytosis of leukocytes and reticulocytes, enhance local tolerance and body resistance, and play a role in warming menstruation and dispersing cold, clearing heat and removing toxins, so as to achieve the improvement of the disease

3. The regulating effect The regulating effect of cupping is based on negative pressure or warmth, first of all, it is the regulating effect on the nervous system, due to a series of benign stimulation given by autolytic hemolysis, etc., which acts on the peripheral receptors of the nervous system, and then reaches the cerebral cortex through centripetal conduction; together with the warmth and warmth stimulation on the local skin through the reflex pathways of the skin and blood vessel receptors, it is transmitted to the central nervous system, and then to the central nervous system. In addition, the warm stimulation of the local skin by cupping is transmitted to the central nervous system through the skin receptors and vasoreceptors, resulting in reflex excitation, which regulates the excitation and inhibition process of the cerebral cortex, making it tend to be balanced and strengthening the cerebral cortex's regulation of the various parts of the body to make the skin of the affected part of the corresponding tissues of the metabolism, phagocytosis is enhanced to promote the restoration of the body's function, the imbalance of yin and yang is adjusted to enable the gradual healing of diseases.

Secondly, it regulates microcirculation and improves metabolism. The main function of microcirculation is the exchange of substances between blood and tissues, and the regulation of its function is important in physiology and pathology. And it also strengthens the lymphatic circulation and active phagocytosis of lymphocytes. In addition, due to the phenomenon of auto-hemolysis after cupping, then produce a kind of histamine substances, with the body fluids around the whole body, stimulate the organs, enhance their functional vitality, which helps the recovery of the body functions.

4. different canning method different role in the fire canning **** sex based on different cupping method has its own special role. Such as walking cans have a similar effect with massage therapy, health care gua sha therapy, can improve skin respiration and nutrition, conducive to the secretion of sweat glands and sebaceous glands, joints, tendons can enhance the elasticity and mobility, and promote the peripheral blood circulation; can increase the blood flow of the muscles, enhance the muscle's ability to work and endurance, to prevent myasthenia gravis; and deepen the respiration, enhance the gastrointestinal peristalsis, excitation of the nerves governing the organs of the abdomen, enhance the gastric organs and other secretions, and improve the quality of life. Enhance the secretion function of gastrointestinal organs and other organs; accelerate the return of blood in the venous blood vessels, reduce the resistance of the general circulation, reduce the burden on the heart, and adjust the distribution of blood flow and storage in the muscles and internal organs. Slow and light manipulation of the nervous system has a sedative effect; rapid and heavy manipulation of the nervous system has a certain effect of excitement.

The walking can also improve the function of each meridian, which is conducive to the adjustment of the overall function of the meridians. Again, such as medicine can method, in the can negative pressure and warmth, local pores, sweat glands open, capillary expansion, blood circulation accelerated, the drug can be more directly absorbed, according to the different medicines, to play the efficacy of the different. For example, for skin diseases, the local therapeutic effect of the medicine can method is more obvious. Water canning method to warm the cold main; stabbing cupping method to expel stasis, solve the closure of the knot is the main; needle cans combined because of the selection of different needles, can produce a variety of effects.

The origin of fire cupping

Fire cupping therapy, one of the heritage of the motherland medicine, has been used for a long time in China's folklore. There is a record of the horn method in the "Post-Elbow Preparation and Emergency Formula" written by Ge Hong, a medical doctor of the Jin Dynasty. The so-called horn method is an external treatment method of sucking and pulling out pus sores with hollowed out animal horns. Tang Dynasty, Wang To's "outside the Taiwan Secret", has also introduced the use of bamboo canisters to cure diseases, such as the text said: "...... take three fingers of large green bamboo tube, inch and a half long, one head to stay joints, no section of the head chipped to make the thin like a sword, cook this tube several boils, and the heat out of the tube, the cage ink spot at the press, for a long time, with a knife popped broken by the corner of the place, and then boiled! Tube heavy angle, when out of the yellow-white red water, the next pus out, there are also insects out of the number of such a corner, so that the evil out of the end, it is that is removed, when the eyes are bright and light body also." From the above introduction of the corner of the law and the green bamboo tube system fire pot seems to be the case, China's Jin, Tang Dynasty has long been popular fire pot.

In addition, the Qing Dynasty Zhao Xuemin wrote the "Materia Medica Gleanings", Wu Shangxian's "Li Bo Jiao Wen" and "Medical Zong Jinjian Surgical Mind Recipes", for our country's origin, use and indications of fire cans, etc., the introduction of a clearer.

Types of cans

Types of cans, commonly used are the following:

(1) bamboo fire cans: take a solid and mature bamboo cans, one end of the opening, one end of the section for the bottom, the mouth diameter of the cans 3, 4, 5 centimeters three kinds of length of about 8 to 10 centimeters. Large caliber, for the area of the waist and back and buttocks. Small caliber, for the joints of the limbs. As for the long unused bamboo fire pot, too dry, easy to penetrate into the air. Before use, can be soaked in warm water for a few minutes, so that the bamboo cans tight texture does not leak air and then used. Southern production of bamboo, bamboo cans.

(2) ceramic fire pots: the use of clay, made into a mouth round belly, and then coated with black glaze or yellow glaze, kiln firing called ceramic fire pots. There are several kinds of large, medium, small and extra small, ceramic cans, smooth inside and outside, suction and extraction, economical and practical, the northern rural areas more like to use it.

(3) glass fire pots: glass fire pots, is fired with heat-resistant hard glass. Shaped like a fence, belly small mouth, the edge of the mouth slightly protruding outward, divided into 1, 2, 3 kinds of models, clear and transparent, easy to observe, the mouth of the smooth suction is good, therefore, the glass fire pots, has been widely used by the people up.

(4) pumping jar: with penicillin, streptomycin vials or similar vials, the bottom of the bottle cut off and smoothed, the incision must be smooth, the mouth of the bottle of the rubber stopper must be retained intact, easy to pumping when applied. Existing made of transparent plastic, not easy to break. The upper piston, easy to pump.

Suction and extraction methods and application

A, suction and extraction methods: cupping methods are commonly used at present, there are the following:

1, fire canning method: the use of combustion of the heat of the flame, drain the air, so that the formation of negative pressure inside the cans, the cans suction on the skin. There are the following methods:

(1) cast fire method: the thin paper rolled into a paper roll, or cut into thin strips of paper, burning to 1/3, into the can, the can quickly knocked in the selected parts of the fire. Throwing fire, regardless of the use of paper rolls and strips of paper, must be more than an inch above the mouth of the can, and so long as the burning of an inch or so, the paper rolls and strips of paper, can be slanted cans on one side, the flames will not burn the skin. Beginners cast fire method, can also be plucked in the place, put a layer of wet paper, or coated with water, let it absorb the heat, can protect the skin.

(2) flash fire method: with 7 to 8 thick wire, one end of the asbestos rope or wire band, make a good alcohol hold.

Prior to use, the alcohol stick slightly dipped in 95% alcohol, with an alcohol lamp or candle burning, with a flame on the end of the alcohol stick, to the bottom of the can a flash, quickly withdrawn, and immediately buckle the fire cans should be pulled out of the site, the can has become a negative pressure can be sucked.

The advantage of the flash fire method is: when flashing the alcohol stick flame has left the fire can, no fire in the can, to avoid burns, better than casting fire method.

(3) drop method: to the middle of the inner wall of the can, less 1 to 2 drops of alcohol, will turn the can for a week, so that the alcohol evenly attached to the inner wall of the can (do not dip the mouth of the can), and then use a match will be burning alcohol, will be the mouth of the can down, and quickly knocked the can on the selected site.

(4) the cotton method: pull about 0.5 centimeters square piece of cotton wool, thin dipped in alcohol, tightly pasted in the middle of the wall of the can, with a match burning, and will immediately buckle the can on the selected parts.

(5) rack fire method: prepare a block that is not easy to burn and heat transfer, 2-3 cm in diameter, placed on the part that should be pulled, on the top of a small piece of alcohol cotton balls, the cotton balls will be lit, immediately buckle the jar, immediately suction, which can produce a strong suction.

2, water can method: the general application of bamboo cans. First put the jar in the pot with water to boil, use the jar tipped with tweezers clip out, shake off the water, or with a folded towel tightly ask the mouth of the jar, press the heat on the skin, that is, can be sucked.

3, pumping method: first of all, penicillin, streptomycin and other waste bottles ground into a pumping canister tightly fastened in the need for cupping on the site, with a syringe from the rubber stopper pumping out the air in the bottle, so that negative pressure, that can be sucked. Or use the pumping canister over the plastic cup canister piston, the air out, that can be sucked.

Second, the use of various cupping method:

1, single can: for lesions smaller or pressure points. According to the size of the lesion or the scope of the pressure pain, choose the appropriate caliber of the fire can. Such as gastric disease in the epigastric point cupping; supraspinatus tendonitis in the shoulder point cupping.

2, more cans: used for a wide range of diseases. According to the anatomical shape of the lesion, discretionary suction and plucking several and even pick up several. If a muscle bundle strain can be arranged in rows according to the location of the muscle bundle to suck more than one fire can, called "row can method". Treatment of some internal organs or organs of the bruises, according to the scope of the anatomical parts of the organs in the corresponding parts of the surface of the longitudinal and horizontal juxtaposition of the suction of several cans.

3, flash cans: cans pulled on, immediately up and down, repeated suction and plucking several times, until the skin flushed. Mostly used for local skin numbness or hypofunction of the deficiency cases.

4. Stay: After cupping, leave it for a certain period of time, usually 5-15 minutes. If the cupping force is strong, the time of cupping should be reduced. In summer and thin skin, the time of cupping should not be too long in order to avoid damaging the skin.

5, push cans: also known as walking cans, generally used for a larger area, muscle-rich parts, such as the waist and back, thighs and other parts of the selection of a larger caliber cans, cans require smooth mouth, preferably with a glass jar, the first in the mouth of the can coated with some lubricating grease, cans sucked on the bottom of the cans, slightly tilted to the bottom of the cans, that is, the back half of the effort, the front half of a slightly lifted, and slowly pushed forward so that in the surface of the skin up and down, or left and right, push and pull to move back and forth several times. Push and pull back and forth several times, until the skin is flushed.

6

, medicine cans: There are two commonly used:

(1) Boiling medicine cans: the preparation of drugs into a cloth bag, tighten the mouth of the bag, into the water boiled to the appropriate concentration, and then put the bamboo cans into the juice of the medicine boiled for 15 minutes, the use of water cans according to the method of suction and plucking in the need for the parts of the body, mostly used for rheumatism and pain and other diseases.

Commonly used drugs prescription: ephedra, herbs, qiangwu, donghou, fengfeng, gentiana, papaya, Sichuan pepper, raw aconite, Mantua flowers, Liu Shunu, frankincense, myrrh, each two money.

(2) storage jar: in the pumping jar beforehand storage of a certain amount of liquid medicine (about 2/3-1/2 of the jar). Commonly used for chili water, tincture of two-faced needle, ginger juice, rheumatism wine and so on. Then according to the pumping jar operation method, pumping away the air, so that sucked on the skin. There are also in the glass jar storage 1 / 3-1 / 2 of the liquid, and then use the fire pot method of suction on the skin. Commonly used in rheumatic pain, asthma, cough, colds, ulcer disease, chronic gastritis, indigestion, psoriasis and so on.

7, needle cans: first in a certain part of the implementation of acupuncture, to achieve a certain amount of stimulation, the needle will remain in place, and then to the center of the acupuncture point, pulling on the fire pot. If the combination of medicine cans, called "needle medicine cans", mostly used for rheumatism.

8, stabbing the blood (piercing) cupping method: with three-pronged needles, ceramic pieces, thick millimeters, small eyebrow knife, skin needles, roller prick tube, etc., according to the size of the lesion and bleeding requirements, according to the method of stabbing the blood to puncture the small blood vessels, and then pulling to the fire canisters can strengthen the effect of the method of stabbing the blood. It is suitable for all kinds of acute and chronic soft tissue injuries, neurodermatitis, itchy skin, dengue, neurasthenia, gastrointestinal neurosis and so on.

Operation

(1) Preparation of materials: two glass fire pots (spare one), according to the parts, choose the number of models, a pair of tweezers, a vial of 95% alcohol (large mouth), a bottle of cotton balls, a match, a new towel, a piece of soap, a basin.

(2) Pre-operative examination: check the condition, clear diagnosis, whether the indications. Check the cupping site and the patient's position, whether it is appropriate. Check whether the mouth of the can is smooth and there is no corner of the broken mouth.

(3) operation method: first with a clean towel, dipped in hot water will be cupping parts of scrubbing, and then tweezers tweezers tight cotton ball slightly dipped in alcohol, match burning, with the door of fire method, to the glass fire canisters, a flash, and quickly fasten the canisters on the skin.

(4) stay cans time: in the past stay cans time is longer, there are from 10 minutes to stay more than 30 minutes, this long time to stay cans, easy to make the local black and purple, depression of blood serious, increase the absorption of the difficulties, therefore, now stay cans time is generally shorter than before, according to the physical strength of the shallow capillaries seeping out of the blood, you can consider changing from 3 minutes to 6 minutes is more appropriate.

Practice has proven that there are more benefits to leaving a jar for a short time than for a long time. Severe depression blood reduced to a slight oozing blood or congestion, easy to absorb, enhance the ability to resist disease; does not leave traces; to prevent suction excessive, resulting in blister injuries caused by infections; although the time is short, the therapeutic effect is higher.

(5) start cans: the left hand gently press the cans, tilted to the left, the right hand index, middle two fingers to press the muscles of the other side of the cans tilted mouth, gently press, so that the mouth of the cans leaked out of the gap, through the air, suction disappeared, the cans naturally fall off.

(6) the size of the fire: the size of the fire, but also to master. Alcohol more, fire is big suction force; alcohol less, fire is small suction force is small. There are cans knocking fast suction; knocking slow suction is small. These can be temporarily mastered.

(7) interval; according to the condition to decide. Generally speaking, chronic disease or moderate condition, can be every other day. The disease can be acute once a day, for example, high fever, acute rheumatoid, or acute gastroenteritis and other diseases, every lying once, twice, or even three times, are not too much, but the time to stay in the can is not too long.

(8) Course of treatment. Generally 12 times for a course of treatment, if the condition requires, you can continue a few courses.

(9) parts: shoulder, chest, back, waist, buttocks, rib cage, and cervical spine, ankle, gastrocnemius muscle and other parts of the muscle thick, less vascular, can be dialing cupping. In addition, according to the condition, the range of pain, you can pull l ~ 2 fire cans, or 4 ~ 6 or even 10 glass fire cans.

Precautions

(1) The body position must be appropriate, local flesh, such as wrinkles, slack, uneven scars and position movement, the fire cans are easy to fall off. (2) According to different parts, choose the right size of the can. When applying fire cupping, the flame should be strong, and the action should be fast, so that the mouth of the can is tilted upward to avoid the fire source falling down and burning the skin. When applying the flash fire method, the cotton swab dipped in alcohol should not be too much to prevent the alcohol from dripping down to burn and injure the skin. With the cotton method, to prevent burning cotton off. When using the rack fire method, buckle cover to be accurate, do not knock over the burning fire rack. When using boiling water canister, the hot water in the canister should be thrown away to avoid scalding the patient's skin. (3) When applying needle pots, it is necessary to prevent muscle contraction and bending of needles, and to avoid crashing and pressing needles into the depths in favor of injury. Chest and back acupoints are to be used with caution. (4) In the application of blood cupping, the area of the bleeding skin of the needle, to be equal to or slightly larger than the caliber of the fire can. The amount of bleeding shall be appropriate, and the total amount of each time shall not exceed 10ml for adults. (5) When using multiple cans, the distance between the cans should not be too close, otherwise the skin will be pulled by the cans to produce pain, and at the same time, the cans are crowded each other and should not be pulled firmly. (6) In the application of walking cans, can not be in the bone protruding push and pull, so as not to damage the skin, or cans leaking off. (7) When starting cupping, the technique should be gentle, with one hand against the skin on the side of the can, press a little, so that the gas leakage, the can can be taken off, not hard pulling or spinning. (8) If there is bleeding from the needle hole after cupping, use dry cotton ball to wipe it away. General local redness or cyanosis (bruising), is a normal phenomenon, will subside on its own. If the local bruising is serious, it is not suitable to be cupped again in the original position. If you leave the can for too long, the skin will blister, small does not need to be treated to prevent infection caused by abrasion; large can be pierced with a needle, out of the bubble of liquid, coated with gentian violet solution, covered with sterile dressings to prevent infection.

How to avoid fire can burn

Some people say: "As long as the regular cupping, it is inevitable that not burned", this statement is not right? Not right. Because clinical practice tells us that the main cause of fire can burns is too much alcohol, dripping in the skin inside the can, scalding a blood bubble; flame burning hot can mouth, easy to call the can mouth branding circle. Leave the can too long, easy to pull up white blisters. The first two are real burns, the latter is not a burn. So can we avoid fire can burns? Can, can, but must take the following measures:

(1) Coated with water: in the cupping place, before coated with some water (winter coated with warm water). Coated water can make the local cooling, to protect the skin from scalding;

(2) flame toward the bottom of the can: alcohol cotton ball flame, must be toward the bottom of the can, can not burn the mouth of the can, the mouth of the can should not be stained with alcohol;

(3) stay in the can for a short period of time: shorten the time of stay in the can, do not be too long, too long easy to absorb the blisters, generally 3 to 5 minutes can be, the most should not be more than 10 minutes.

Indications, main points and contraindications

(1) Indications and main points:

[Respiratory indications]

Acute and chronic bronchitis, asthma, pulmonary edema, pneumonia, pleurisy. Main points: the loom, the wind gate, the lung yu, and the window of Ying.

[Indications for the digestive system]

Acute and chronic gastritis, gastric neuralgia, dyspepsia, hyperacidity. Main points: liver yu, spleen yu, stomach yu, septum yu, Zhangmen.

Acute and chronic enteritis. Main points: spleen yu, stomach yu, large intestine yu, tianshu.

[Circulatory indications]

Hypertension. Main points: Liver Yu, Gallbladder Yu, Spleen Yu, Kidney Yu, Commissioning Center, Chengshan, Foot Sanli. Focus more on the back and lower limbs.

Arrhythmia. Main points: heart Yu, kidney Yu, diaphragm Yu, spleen Yu.

Insufficient blood supply to the heart. Main points: heart yu, diaphragm yu, anointing yu, Zhangmen.

[Indications of the motor system]

Cervical spine joint pain' shoulder and scapular pain, elbow joint pain. Main points: cupping around pressure points and their joints.

Back pain, lumbar spine pain, sacral spine pain, hip pain. Main points: cupping according to the pain site and its joint periphery.

Knee pain, bare bones pain, heel pain. Main point: cupping according to the pain area and around its joints, using a small glass fire pot.

[Neurological indications]

Nervous headache, occipital neuralgia. Main points: the great vertebrae, the great loom, the heavenly pillar (with a noodle cushion), and the supreme Yang.

Intercostal neuralgia. Main points: Zhangmen, Futanmen, and cupping in the intercostal pain area.

Sciatica. Main points: chibian, huanjiao, and commissure.

Nerve paralysis of the limbs due to rheumatic strain. Main points; Da Spine, Anointing Blind Yu, Kidney Yu, Feng Shi, and its paralyzed parts.

Cervical muscle spasm. Main points: shoulder well, great vertebrae, middle shoulder yu, and body column.

Gastrocnemius muscle spasm. Main points: the commissure, Chengshan and the gastrocnemius area on the affected side.

Facial nerve spasm. Main points: Xia Guan, Yin Tang, Che Che, using a small can, can only be left for 6 seconds, up, and then 10 to 20 times in a row.

Septal spasm. Main points: septum, jingmen.

[Indications in gynecology]

Dysmenorrhea. Main points: Guanyuan, Blood Sea, Ah Yes point.

Amenorrhoea. Main points: Guanyuan, Ren Yu.

Hypermenorrhea. Main points: Guanyuan, Uterus.

Leucorrhea. Main points: Guanyuan, Uterus, Sanyinjiao.

Pelvic inflammation. Main points: chichiban, lumbar yu, guanyuan yu.

[Indications in surgical sores]

Boils. Main points: body column, and boils and swollen areas, small jar surface pad plucking.

Multiple folliculitis. Main points: Zhiyang, localized small cans with face pad plucking.

Lower limb ulcers. Main points: local small cans plus face pad plucking.

Acute mastitis. The main point; local warm water new towel hot compresses, with medium-sized or large fire canister pulling, can be dialed 5 to 6 times.

(2) Contraindications to cupping

High fever, convulsions, spasms, etc.; skin allergies or ulcers at the place of breakage; muscle thin or uneven bones and hairy parts should not be applied; pregnant women lumbosacral and abdominal must be used with caution.