Stress and stress relief is a major cause for worry for people of all ages and walks of life. For this reason, looking for solutions for the problem is one of the most talked about issues today.

Cupping therapy is a potentially safe, non-invasive treatment that can help you release the stress and avoid the potential medical and psychological ailments that accompany stress. But, why is cupping effective? And, how can it help you? Read ahead to understand the therapy.

Understanding How Stress is Caused

Before talking about the options for stress relief, it is important to understand how the pressure is caused? Nature programmed humans to deal with the adverse conditions of a very hostile world. They had to forage for food and deal with wild animals and other dangers.

Accordingly, we evolved into having the rush of adrenalin and cortisol when faced with a dangerous situation. Adrenalin helped humans with a heightened metabolism by boosting blood circulation, pain tolerance, and glucose levels in the blood so they could escape from the situation. Non-essential functions like digestion, reproduction, immunity, and growth would take a backseat until the danger passed.

In modern times, we live in a world that is not hostile. However, the stress comes from other sources such as a challenging presentation, difference of opinion with someone that could turn into an argument, change of life situation, job worries, and other such issues.

Constant stress causes the levels of adrenalin and cortisol to remain high in the blood and this leads to several health and mental complications. By getting cupping therapy, you can help your body relax and step out of the consistent “flight or fight” mode. The stress relief provided by the treatment can help to avoid or heal from the problems caused by the pressure.

Why Cupping Helps Release Stress

Cupping therapy can help you release the stress because of the calm and serene ambience of the therapist’s clinic. Further, as the healer works to place cups on your body and cause suction, you must lie completely still. Typically, cupping sessions may take from 10 to 20 minutes and this time is sufficient to blank the mind and get rid of negative thoughts that might be troubling you.

Another important factor is that cupping promotes the flow of blood in the body. As the muscles and tissues are flooded with healing nutrients and fresh oxygen, they relax completely. The relaxation effect is also extended to the nervous system that seems to get sedated with cupping.

When you go into the stress mode, your muscles react by going into spasm and stiffening. For this reason, you sense the tension in your neck, shoulders, and back. Cupping can help release this tension so you feel the stress melting away. In fact, it is not uncommon for patients to fall into a deep slumber during the session.

In addition to dry cupping, therapists may also choose to use massage cupping. After creating suction, she may move the cup over the body in gentle movements by way of reverse massage. The massage-like sensations also work to release stress and bring calm to the patient similar to when you take deep tissue or trigger point massage therapy.

The Science Behind Cupping Therapy for Stress Relief

While the very session of cupping therapy can help you with the stress you’re feeling, the mechanism is explained by the philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Trained cupping therapists know how to identify the particular points on the back that relate to the emotional system. These acupuncture points lie on the Outer Bladder Line or the bladder meridian. This straight line skims the shoulder blade between the blade and the spine and runs down the back up to the pelvis.

By placing cups on this line and causing suction, the therapist can stimulate the proper functioning of the emotional state so that you can balance the disparity in your feelings to restore the sense of calm.

TCM also believes that the buildup of toxins in the body closely correlate to negative feelings and emotions. Cupping can cause the muscles to release the toxins so that the circulating lymph can carry them away for natural elimination from the body. Once the toxins are removed, you’ll also sense relief from the stress-causing negative emotions.

This philosophy can clearly explain why many patients seem to get emotional during and after the session with crying spells from sheer relief and serenity.