Cupping to Dispel Stagnation

I have had training in cupping  therapy as used in Chinese medicine to assist in moving stagnant energy.  The cups are made of glass or silicon and are available  in various sizes.  A vacuum is created in the cup so that the skin will be drawn up by suction, forming a firm  grip around the rim of the cup.    

Cupping is applied in certain conditions  involving stagnation of qi and blood in muscles, channels, and collaterals. Examples  of these are asthma and cough deriving from wind-cold, blockages leading to  pain such as arthritis, sciatic pain, etc.

Cupping can be used to help draw  out the stagnation from the deeper tissue layers and concentrate it at the skin  surface, so that the protective energy (wei qi) can more effectively expel pathogenic factors. Cupping is also effectively applied with conditions of muscle and tendon pain.  I am  able to use cupping alone or in combination with massage or acupressure point  therapies.