Fire cupping is another method of pain relief used by a licensed acupuncturist. Like acupuncture and acupressure, fire cupping is a technique to promote circulation and stimulate blood flow to a certain area of the body. Instead of stimulating blood flow and nerves with needles or pressure, as with acupuncture or acupressure, they use gentle suction.
Fire cupping has been prevalent in many forms of medicine around the world for centuries. A fire cup is simply a cup held upside down and the air inside of it heated. Once the air is hot, the cup is applied to the soft tissue of the body. As the air cools rapidly in the cup, it shrinks in size, pulling the soft tissue up into the cup with a vacuum. The rim of the cup seals against the body.
When properly done there is almost no risk of being burned during a session. The biggest negative side effect is the temporary, circular marks you may be left with for a few days following the treatment.
