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Techniques of Cupping Therapy
Lung Area Cupping Marks: 1. The appearance of purple-red spots on both sides during cupping indicates bronchitis. 2. The appearance of flushed red patches indicates lung heat, accompanied by symptoms such as thirst and chest pain. 3. The appearance of small rashes indicates respiratory tract inflammation, such as pharyngitis or rhinitis. 4. A light purple or red mark indicates tonsillitis. 5. A light purple or red mark indicates lymphatic swelling. 6. A white mark indicates lung deficiency. 7. Enlarged pores indicate wind invasion, exposure to wind and cold, with symptoms such as neck stiffness, scapular pain, or accompanying shoulder periarthritis. Observations of cupping marks, impressions, shapes, and colors: 1. Dark purple-black cupping marks indicate blood stasis, such as menstrual obstruction, dysmenorrhea, or insufficient cardiac blood supply. If the affected area is severely cold or the marks do not fade after several days, it indicates a prolonged illness. If large areas of black-purple marks appear, it suggests extensive wind-cold invasion, requiring symptomatic treatment focused on dispelling cold and eliminating pathogens. 2. Purple cupping marks with patches generally indicate cold gathering and blood stasis. 3. Scattered purple spots of varying depths indicate qi stagnation and blood stasis. 4. Light purple with blue patches indicates blood issues, accompanied by blood stasis; if it appears at the kidney shu point (Shen Shu), it suggests kidney deficiency; if at the spleen shu point (Pi Shu), it indicates qi deficiency and blood stasis. 5. Bright red and vivid cupping marks generally indicate yin deficiency, with both qi and yin deficiency. 6. If there are no cupping marks or they disappear immediately after cupping, returning to normal color, it indicates a mild condition. 7. If the color is pink with no spots and immediately returns to normal skin color, it indicates no disease. Note: Normal diagnostic colors: Pink for liver and gallbladder; slightly blue for lungs and intestines; slightly black for bladder and kidneys; slightly red for heart; slightly yellow for spleen and stomach.
Heart Area Cupping Marks: 1. The appearance of connected purple-red marks indicates obstruction of the heart meridian, which may present with symptoms such as chest tightness and shortness of breath. 2. The appearance of small patches indicates insufficient blood supply to the brain, leading to dizziness and a feeling of numbness in the head. 3. Purple-red stripes indicate cervical spine diseases. 4. A white mark indicates myocardial ischemia. 5. If large pores appear with mist, it indicates rheumatic heart disease. 6. A white mark indicates qi and blood deficiency. 7. A depressed mark indicates insufficient heart blood, weak pulse, and shortness of breath. 8. A red mark indicates excessive heart fire.
Gallbladder Area Cupping Marks: 1. The appearance of small depressions indicates gallstones. 2. The presence of purple-red spots around indicates dysfunction of gallbladder excretion, which may present with symptoms such as bitter mouth, rib pain, and jaundice. 3. A white mark indicates low gallbladder function. 4. Light purple circles indicate fright and timidity. 5. Patchy red rashes indicate cholecystitis.
Liver Area Cupping Marks: 1. The appearance of flushed red rashes indicates excess fire in the liver meridian, which may present with symptoms such as headache, irritability, flushed face, yellow urine, and dry stools. 2. If the center of the cupping mark is blue, it indicates hepatitis. 3. If light purple circles appear around, with white inside, it indicates qi stagnation due to anger. 4. A purple circle around indicates fatty liver. 5. Extensive flushed red areas with swelling indicate alcoholic liver disease. 6. Entire liver area appearing purple or purple-red indicates high blood viscosity. 7. A purple-blue mark with stiffness indicates liver cirrhosis. 8. The appearance of purple-blue spots with white interspersed may indicate ascites.
Spleen Area Cupping Marks: 1. The appearance of flushed red rashes indicates poor appetite or fullness after eating, with symptoms such as diarrhea, dizziness, and fatigue. 2. If purple-red marks with swelling appear, it indicates signs of spleen enlargement, accompanied by irritability and unstable temperament. 3. Red or flushed marks with enlarged pores indicate damp-heat in the spleen, with symptoms of chills and spontaneous sweating. 4. A depressed mark indicates poor spleen function, weakness, sluggishness, and a tendency to be quiet. 5. Light purple or purple circles indicate qi stagnation and irritability. 6. Entire area appearing purple or purple-red indicates high blood lipids and viscosity, possibly accompanied by high blood pressure.
Stomach Area Cupping Marks: 1. The appearance of flushed red patches indicates stomach disease. 2. A white center indicates cold in the stomach, presenting as stomach pain that worsens with cold. 3. The appearance of red indicates excess heat, poor appetite, and food accumulation. 4. Light purple circles indicate anger. 5. Light purple circles around indicate superficial gastritis. 6. Dark purple circles around indicate chronic gastritis. 7. A depressed mark with light purple indicates atrophic gastritis. 8. A depressed mark with gray-white indicates poor stomach function and slow peristalsis, with reduced appetite and abnormal stools.
Large Intestine Area Cupping Marks: 1. The appearance of purple-red cupping marks indicates heat in the large intestine, which may present with dry stools, bad breath, and dizziness. 2. Light purple circles indicate retained stool and dryness in the large intestine. 3. A white mark indicates wind-cold invasion, primarily in the abdomen. 4. Flushed red marks with enlarged pores indicate damp-heat in the large intestine, poor digestion, frequent stools, or rapid bowel movements after meals. 5. A gray-white mark with a depressed shape indicates slow peristalsis, or constipation occurring every three to five days, with hard stools. 6. Red spots indicate enteritis; if purple spots are present, it indicates chronic enteritis; if light purple spots are present, it indicates a history of enteritis.
Small Intestine Area Cupping Marks: 1. The appearance of purple-red spots indicates dysfunction of the small intestine, primarily presenting as abnormal bowel movements, lower abdominal cramping, and bloating. 2. A white mark with enlarged pores indicates wind-cold invasion, primarily in the abdomen, accompanied by bowel sounds and gas. 3. A gray-white mark with a depressed shape indicates slow peristalsis in the small intestine. 4. Purple-red spots indicate enteritis. 5. A dark red ring indicates ulceration. 6. A dark purple mark indicates toxins in the intestine. 7. Light purple spots indicate a history of inflammation. 8. Dark purple circles around indicate constipation and retained stool.
Kidney Area Cupping Marks: 1. The appearance of purple-red spots indicates kidney qi instability, such as chronic nephritis, with frequent clear urination, nocturia, and lower back pain. 2. A white mark indicates kidney deficiency with water retention, severe swelling below the waist, reduced urine output, and in severe cases, abdominal distension and scrotal swelling. 3. The appearance of small depressions indicates granular kidney stones; if there are white sandy particles, it indicates gravel-like kidney stones. 4. Enlarged pores that do not fade for a long time indicate wind-cold in the left kidney, while the right kidney indicates rheumatism in the joints. 5. Purple spots indicate past injuries to the lower back, such as sprains, bruises, or other trauma. 6. The appearance of internal purple or light purple circles indicates water retention in the kidneys. 7. If there is a significant color difference between the two kidneys, such as the left kidney being purple-red and the right kidney gray-white, it indicates uncoordinated kidney function, with yang excess and yin deficiency, or vice versa. 8. If both kidneys appear entirely purple-red with a hard protrusion, it indicates hyperfunction.
Bladder Area Cupping Marks: 1. The appearance of purple-red bruises indicates prostatitis in males, with symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, pain during urination, or difficulty urinating; in females, it indicates menstrual irregularities and other gynecological diseases. 2. If purple-red patches appear with dull colors, in males, it indicates prostate enlargement; in females, it indicates cervical erosion. 3. The appearance of purple-red spots in the lower area indicates hemorrhoids. 4. If the outer circle is white and the inner circle is light purple, it indicates signs of diabetes; if the center of the cupping mark is red, it indicates current exacerbation. At least two signs must be present. 5. The appearance of peeling skin indicates symptoms of chronic diabetes. 6. If the entire cupping area appears gray-white with a depressed shape, it indicates reduced sexual function. 7. If irregular light purple circles appear, it indicates past fright and kidney dysfunction. 8. In females, dark purple spots indicate gynecological diseases, with the upper area indicating uterine diseases and the diagonal upper sides indicating appendiceal or ovarian diseases. 9. In females, if blue-purple spots appear, it indicates uterine fibroids. Note: Leave the cups on for 5 to 6 minutes, then remove them, and diagnose based on the skin condition after cupping. This method is based on clinical experience and should not be used as a theoretical basis.
