A Practical Guide to Cupping Therapy: A Natural Approach to Heal Through Traditional Chinese Medicine

Long employed in traditional Chinese medicine to treat everything from bronchitis to premature ejaculation, cupping uses glass, ceramic, or bamboo cups as suction cups on the body, usually combined with heat, to stimulate the blood in designated areas. Considering this as a medical treatment may be a bridge too far for some U.S. readers. That being said, Wu’s credentials—he is a professor and advisor of doctoral students at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in Beijing and has nearly two decades of clinical experience with Chinese traditional medicine—are reassuringly solid. The theory behind cupping, as explained here, is that the cups provide negative pressure along acupuncture points on the body corresponding to health and appearance issues. Wu does caution against it under certain circumstances, such as during pregnancy or after a diagnosis of cancer (cupping could cause tumors to metastasize) or epilepsy, scoring some points for responsibility and trustworthiness. The jury is definitely still out on whether cupping can achieve such miracle feats as eliminating acne, asthma, freckles, and toothaches, as promised here, but Wu has created a well-informed introduction to the treatment, in theory and practice. (Oct.)