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Is It Summer Yet?
For native San Franciscans this has been a great summer, foggy as all get out. When I moved to San Francisco in 1978 I remember thinking what’s with that song about “Warm San Franciscan Nights”. And then I realized it’s about the novelty of said nights. I appreciate the ‘cool grey blanket’ as much as the next person but it just goes to show that it’s all relative. In Chinese Medicine Summer is the season that relates to fire and heat. The time when nature is at its fullest... “The living is easy. The fish are jumping and the cotton is high”... . Oh wait, that’s not San Francisco. The living may be easy (if you avoid the traffic), the whales are definitely jumping and the rents are getting higher all the time. But at least Indian Summer is close at hand, along with our best weather.
One of the best things about this summer has been the Olympics and one of the best things about the Olympics this year was the great advertising Chinese medicine received courtesy of Michael Phelps and all those athletes with those strange round bruises on the bodies. This of course was due to cupping, a therapeutic method that has been used in Asia and Europe for hundreds if not thousands of years. I’ve had many patients of Eastern European extraction tell me that they remember them from their parents or grandparents who often used them for colds, asthma or pneumonia. Originally crafted from bamboo, ceramics or metal they are most commonly made of glass or plastic these days. Traditionally a flame from a candle or burning cotton ball would be used to use up the oxygen in the cup, creating a partial vacuum. Then the cup would be quickly placed on the body at strategic points. Today it is common to use cups made of plastic that are fitted with a valve and the air is removed via a hand held suction pump. This allows for greater control as to how much negative pressure is applied in any given area. Once in place, the cups can be retained for a few minutes or longer to create the desired therapeutic effect. In pre-scientific times the cups were thought to draw out evil spirits or “bad energy” from the body. Current understanding points to the body’s activation of the “anti-inflammatory response” to promote healing and wellness. Fighting fire with fire so to speak. Those distinctive marks that often result from the cupping typically disappear in a few days but the results typically last much longer. The treatment can be repeated as often as necessary and can be used in conjunction with acupuncture or other modalities.
If you or someone you know, wants to look like an Olympian or are curious to give it a try, you don’t have to go all the way to Rio. It’s available right here on West Portal. Cupping is commonly use to treat a variety of ailments from muscle aches, arthritic pains, low or upper back or shoulder pain as well as the previously mentioned respiratory ailments. Besides feeling better you can show off your new status symbol.
© 2003–2016 Larry Forsberg. All rights reserved.
Articles posted on this Web site are for personal use only and remain the property of Larry Forsberg, L.Ac.
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