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- Jean Donati Acupuncture604 E. Joppa RD
Towson, MD 21286410-984-3700 
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Immune System
Benefits of Acupuncture in Treating Immune Deficiency
Boosting immunity has become the buzzword of the last two years of the pandemic as everyone has examined ways to keep their immune systems strong to repel Covid-19. And most people understand that our immune systems are like the guards of the body’s cells, tissues, and organs. A strong immune system will repel the worst of bacterial invaders so infection can be avoided at all costs. continue reading
Using Acupuncture to Treat Liver & Kidney Health: Why it Works
According to the National Institutes of Health, chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than 1 in 7 U.S. adults (an estimated 37 million). And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 4.5 million adults have been diagnosed with liver disease. Those are some sobering statistics, but did you know that acupuncture has a proven track record of effectively dealing with kidney and liver disease? continue reading
What do the Cupping Marks and Colors Mean?
Cupping is a form of Traditional Chinese medicine where inverted cups made of bamboo, glass, silicone or plastic are placed and inverted over acupuncture points, then placed under suction. Health benefits include improved circulation, increase in lymphatic drainage, release of toxins, and decrease in pain form conditions such as arthritis, muscle pain, low back pain, neck pain and fibromyalgia.
There are two types of dry cupping. Dry cupping is where cups are placed over acupuncture points and suction is created which lifts the skin and soft tissues creating a stretch within the muscle and fascia. In stationary cupping, these cups are left in place. Generally, a tight sensation is felt around the cupped area. The cups are left in place for 10-15 minutes. In gliding cupping, lotion is applied to the area to be cupped and the cups are placed under suction and then glided along the meridians or pathways of energy. This type of cupping can cover a larger area such as the thighs and back.
Although there are vast benefits of cupping with acupuncture treatments, not everyone is a candidate for cupping. Those who are physically weak, have sensitive skin, inflamed skin, fever, or who are on blood thinners should not undergo cupping. Cupping can be used with pregnant women however, the stomach, lower back and specific forbidden points should be avoided.
It is common for cupping to leave small circular marks on the areas where the cups were placed. These areas are usually painless. The discolorations are a result of broken blood vessels below the skin surface. The color indicates the level of blood and Qi stagnation, toxin and dampness in the body. The pattern and color of the marks reflect the level of stagnation in the area. For example, the darker the color, the more stagnation present.
Cupping marks are not bruising. Bruises are made by injury or blunt trauma to the skin surface. Bruises are painful. The marks made by cupping are caused by suction and works to bring toxins to the surface of the skin. Cupping marks do not cause pain.
People often ask how long the cupping marks will last and if they have any specific meaning. The coloring of the cupping marks ranges from bright red to a dark purple. These can last 3 days to a week. A darker color means that there is more toxins and stagnation in the section of the body that has been treated. The darker cupping marks can last up to 3 weeks. Lighter marks that are pink can last for a few hours. Usually, subsequent cupping treatments will yield lighter marks as the toxins are dissipating from the body. In the case of an injury, multiple cupping treatments may be needed to rid the body of toxins and pathogens and induce healing of the deeper tissues.
Cupping marks type and color explained
- Pale cupping marks and cold skin after cupping indicates deficiency, cold or dampness
- Dark purple cupping marks indicate stagnation and cold
- Light or bright red spots in the cupping marks indicate Qi and blood deficiency, or Yin deficiency
- Little dark spots scattered in the cupping mark indicates deep Qi and blood stagnation
- Skin lines in the cupping marks or itching after cupping indicates wind or dampness
- Cold or dampness is indicated by water drops in the cup
- Blisters/bubbles after cupping normally means dampness, accumulated fluids in the tissues, and cold
Image from https://foundationphysio.com/physiotherapy-treatments/cupping/
No copywrite infringement intended
What is Cupping and How Is It Related to Acupuncture?
Cupping is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapy that dates back to ancient Egyptian, Middle Eastern and Chinese cultures as far back as 300A.D. TCM philosophy believes that pain results from the blockage of Qi, blood, or energy. You have all heard me say in relationship to acupuncture: “Where there’s stagnation, there is pain. Where there is free flow there is no pain.”
Cupping, like acupuncture is a method of clearing this blockage to restore the body’s natural flow of energy. This is beneficial for health promotion, prophylaxis, and treatment of disorders such as back pain, knee pain, asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraines, as well as high blood pressure.
Recent researches show that cupping therapy helps to:
- Reduce muscle pain
- Improve blood circulation, promote cell repair and increase muscle relaxation
- Assist the lymphatic system to drain excess fluids and toxins
Cupping has many musculoskeletal benefits. It is helpful for chronic lower back pain, neck pain and fibromyalgia. In addition, digestive symptoms such as bloating, gastric reflux and constipation conditions can be eased with cupping. Overall recovery from cough, asthma and the common cold can be improved with cupping as well as acupuncture.
In a cupping session, inverted cups made of bamboo, glass, silicone or plastic are applied to the acupuncture points on the body to create suction. The suction of the cups pulls the skin upward as the suction increases. The suction opens up energy pathways in a similar way to acupuncture and is often used in conjunction with acupuncture to clear the energy channels and remove toxins from the body that are responsible for pain and disease. It has been used effectively for pain relief, increasing blood flow, chronic inflammation, enhanced relaxation, and improved quality of life.
Cupping draws fluid into the area being worked on by the suction it creates. This causes improved circulation and release of toxins. The discoloration that occurs after cupping is due to broken blood vessels just beneath the skin, much like a bruise. These marks and their color, are diagnostic of toxins being released to the upper skin layer for the body to disperse. The marks tend to fade within days to a week.
In the next article I will discuss the different types of cupping, coloration of cupping marks and their meanings. Stay Tuned!
Sources
Cleveland Clinic https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/16554-cupping
Harvard Health Letter https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-exactly-is-cupping-2016093010402)
WebMD “Cupping” https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/cupping-therapy
https://www.thomsontcm.sg/articles/what-do-your-cupping-colours-tell-you/#:~:text=These%20cupping%20marks%20are%20discoloration,of%20stagnation%20in%20that%20area.
Gratitude’s Link with Love & Happiness
A glass half full – grateful people have a particular view of the world and themselves. They choose to notice the positive things in the world and their own lives and have an appreciation for things that other people may take for granted. In a growing body of research, the importance of gratitude suggests that it is a cornerstone of positive psychology.
Love: Research from Psychologists Dr. Robert Emmons from UC Davis and Dr. Michael McCullough from the University of Miami go so far as to say that not only does gratitude promote feelings of happiness and love but that it is also a form of love itself. Open communication is necessary for healthy relationships. People who focus on the positive qualities of their partners experience more feelings of closeness and are often more aware of their partner’s needs and wishes, resulting in healthier, happier, more intimate relationships.
In 2010, Dr. Sara Algoe of UC Berkley sampled 67 heterosexual couples who had been together for at least 3 months. The partners wrote in a diary every night for 2 weeks and recorded both their own and their partner’s thoughtful actions, their feelings toward the actions and how they felt about the relationship that day. This research found that gratitude reminds romantic partners of the quality of the relationship, the quality of the individual’s partner and enhanced feelings of closeness.
Other studies, like one by Kubacka, Finkenauer, Rusbult and Keijsers in 2011 showed that gratitude begets gratitude. Kind gestures toward a spouse led to feelings of gratitude (of course!) and that gratitude motivated the other spouse to reciprocate with kind gestures. None of that should be too surprising but the ultimate result was a positive cycle of gratitude and caring behavior that continued to increase.
5 Proven Health Benefits of Gratitude:
- Improved sleep
- Can strengthen your physiological well-being
- Longevity
- Increased Energy Levels
- Increased likelihood of physical activity
Life Satisfaction:
Ever wonder how some people continue to stay genuinely happy, even though they get hit with hardship after hardship and other people seem miserable even though they have everything anyone could ever want. Studies show it may come down to gratitude. “A key determining factor of well-being is the ability to notice, appreciate and savor the elements of one’s life”, say Dr. Emmons and Dr. McCullough. Three studies conducted by the pair looked into whether focusing on negative or neutral life events versus focusing on positive ones can lead to improved psychological and physical function. All three studies concluded that “an effective way to produce reliably higher
Is practicing gratitude a cure-all? Of course not! But research demonstrates its many benefits with no drawbacks. It is a powerful tool that can be utilized to live a good, meaningful life.
One thing to consider is being gracious with yourself. Show some gratitude to YOU, and treat yourself to an acupuncture treatment. Give us a call today!
https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-research/
