Some research suggests cupping may have beneficial effects, including pain relief and increasing local blood flow. However, more research is necessary to understand cupping’s therapeutic potential and how it works.
Cupping therapy is a traditional Chinese and Middle Eastern practice that involves placing cups at certain points on a person’s skin. A practitioner creates suction in the cups, which pulls against the skin.
Cupping can either be dry or wet. Wet cupping involves puncturing the skin before starting the suction, which removes some of the person’s blood during the procedure.
Cupping typically leaves round bruises on a person’s skin, where blood vessels burst after exposure to the procedure’s suction effects.