my acupuncturist uses cupping too, but if you ask them to use the plastic suction cups and device, and leave them on for less time, you get the same effect with little to no bruising.

dude, I grew up with this Chinese/Vietnamese stuff. I watched my mom and aunts DIY the "cupping" method at home and on each other’s backs. There are even more amazing, Eastern-holistic stuff that they do to your body that looks crazy to Westerners. xoxo, Maggie

this is ancient, ancient process from Asia...especially what is now called Iran, my grandfather does it and it literally sucks pain out. he learned from his mother, and it goes back to ancestors of Babylon.
i'd say leave it on less time, and it won't look so bad, but you'll be fine.

Wow, I wish I could have someone help me DIY at home! Maggie, you gotta invite me over sometime I really don't mind the bruises, and they go away fairly quickly.

i've always wanted to try something like this. if you don't mind could you give me an idea how much it costs?

I cannot encourage you enough to look for data that disagrees with your experience/point of view in these kind of treatments. If you find it easy to dismiss Penn & Teller (who have no more education in actual science than your acupuncturist or you, it's true), then look for sources of actual scientific data -- the data on acupuncture alone is highly mixed. A number of studies have shown that randomly-placed needles have the same effectiveness as by-the-book acupuncture practice in treating back pain, migraines, and others. Google "fake acupuncture" for some citations.
I use to get acupuncture for tendinitis (which went away years after I stopped acu. and did more stretching and self-massage) and thought the needles made me feel kinda better -- but then again, I forgot about the pain when I watched a funny movie, too. And I know people who feel "ready to rock" after being thoroughly spanked, or cuddled, or working out, or massaged! We all have things that make us feel good, whether or not they have science behind them. BUT if you're going to claim that there is ANY scientific validity to "cupping", please be intellectually honest about how much you've looked into the data.
(Look at the history of medicine through the past two centuries, and you'll see an enormous variety of patent contraptions doing random sensory things to the body.)

Karina: Well said.

Karina...all I can say is thank you. It simply kills me to see the people who call doctors and drug companies crooks are the same people that think nothing of dumping tons of cash on hokey treatments that time and time again are shown to do nothing more than generate a placebo effect. Dr. Smith is an evil man because he charges you for an office visit and gives you s prescription. but Guru Sage is a hero for only charging you $500 for his 30 minute aura cleansing dance and for turning you into a human pin cushion 3 time a week.

"When I went in last night, Michelle suggested we do some cupping along with acupuncture on my back."

If acupunture works then why the need for cupping. /rolls eyes

The NIH site you link to has this listed under recent news "Pain-Relieving Powers of Acupuncture Unclear". that is a link to a study showing that in fact acupuncture does not help pain.

Acupuncture can help with pain relief, I've personally experienced it. But it doesn't work any better than placebo, which mean it's not the acupuncture that's helping you, it's your own belief that provides the comfort.

Well said, PrimevilKneivel - you took the words right out of my fingers. There's numerous, recent studies showing that acupuncture is no better than a placebo.

And ditto for Richard for noting that just about every person I know yelling about "Big Pharma" gives ridiculous amounts of cash to some "alternative medical practioner."

Sadly, I'm just echoing...will anyone listen?

I'm curious how gullible you really are. Do you see psychics? Get your tarot cards read? Do you drink magical water labeled "Homeopathic"? Does your universe resonate with quantum energies?

Not Bust too! Please leave the uninformed medical advice to Oprah and stick to what you're best at! D:

I say if it works for you, then go for it. Where are all these alterna haters coming from? If she is getting relief from things you've probably never tried, then let her.

i have tried acupuncture and cupping and both did wonders for me. western medicine has been shoved down our throats to the point that most people think it's the only way. why do people associate eastern medicine with "quacks" and "crooks?" it's been around way longer than our health system. i'd take a natural remedy over popping pills anyday.

to each his (her) own!

Its not the source of the treatment that's at issue, it's whether or not it's evidenced-based, If it worked better than a simple placebo effect, there would be statistically valid positive evidence by now. Alternative treatments are only alternatives because no research has produced the necessary results to make them standard (despite decades of trying in the case of acupuncture).

Why automatically assume people who want quantitative results are "haters"? Take a look at a site like sciencebasedmedicine.org and tell me that these doctors and researchers aren't passionate about their patients' health.

I love me some evidence-based medicine, but just because the research hasn't been done doesn't mean the treatment is ineffective. It might just mean the research hasn't been done yet, or independently replicated. (Interestingly, there is a lot of uncertainty about why and how aspirin works, and we all have relied on that before, right?)

While living in SE Asia for 6+ years, I enjoyed cupping and coining, mostly when all achy and congested from a flu or cold. Maybe it was the human contact, maybe the pain was being sucked from me, maybe it's a placebo, but I really did feel better after. Like the fluids in my body had been knocked out of the corners where they didn't belong. Now that I'm back, I miss having it as an accepted and available treatment...

The difference is that pharmaceuticals have unintended side effects. There's no harm in trying accupuncture or cupping but we know that antidepressants, for example, can lead to suicide.

I recently got some cupping (the plastic suction cups and device) during a massage. And it was great! I felt it went deeper than the actual massage and I felt looser and less tense in those areas. However I did look like I was attacked by a giant squid.

Paula: Actually, we know that antidepressants are associated with suicide, it's not a cause/effect relationship. Come on, think about it, if you're taking antidepressants, you're already predisposed to suicide. That's probably why you're taking them. OF COURSE the two are associated.

And how do you know that sticking needles in your skin or getting massive bruises won't have unintended side effects?

Andrea, you make a good point, but medication can cause suicidal ideation/depression. I'd know; I experienced this overwhelming depression from ADD medication that didn't go away until I stopped. It turns out I was pat of that 2% in the pamphlet or whatever.

As my husband's pharmacy professor once told the class, "The placebo effect is still an effect." Placebo or not, if the effect is feeling better without side effects, why not do it?

I personally haven't tried acupuncture or cupping, but I would definitely give it a shot! I can say from personal experience that the traditional Western method of treatment is not always the most effective. I have been learning to live with endometriosis since I was about 16. It took a long time to even get diagnosed (almost five years), and once i did, I was put through a series of drug combos, surgeries, and even medically induced menopause. NONE of these things reduced my pain. After changing doctors yet again, however, I was referred to a physical therapist. She didn't stick pins in me, or cover me in suction cups, but she did teaching good stretching techniques to lessen my pain, and gave me a TENS unit. Nothing I ever read about endo suggested these methods, but they were the only ones to provide relief, and without all of the side effects of the drug cocktail I had been prescribed. From someone with chronic pain-I totally agree with Michelle-relief is relief, no matter the reason. (For more info on endometriosis, check out my blog-also, this week is Endo Awareness Week! Wear yellow to show your support.)

You can try it, just know that it has not been proven effective by any sort of scientific testing, and if it makes you feel good, something else that costs you a lot less may make you feel just as good, if not better.

Yes, drugs have side effects - all of medicine is balancing risk vs. benefit, most of the time the benefit does outweigh the risk. The doubling of the average American lifespan within the past 100 years has come about due to public health, western medicine and other scientific disciplines.

Acupuncture & cupping are dope! Since receiving my first treatments 7 years ago I have introduced Oriental Medicine to my friends & family who are all fairly traditional/skeptical regarding
unconventional medicine. The treatments speak for themselves & everyone is now using acupuncture on a regular basis to maintain optimum health.
A practitioner isn't using cupping to increase sales...An acupuncturist will use acupuncture, cupping or herbs based on your body's current level of homeostasis. (One form of treatment will work better for some conditions than others.)
Asian medicine can help resolve illness as well as boost your health to a new level-this is great for individuals that need extra strength such as athletes and women who are trying to become/are pregnant.
Even the US Government is getting wise to the benefits of Acupuncture! Currently, the military is using acupuncture on active troops with PTSD.

I just want to say that even if it isn't proven to work by scientists and western medicine, even if it is a placebo, at least it's helping people get over their hurdles! It's better than over medicating (which I have done in the past, welbutrin and lexapro mostly). I haven't tried either cupping or acupuncture but am still interested. I haven't come across a person that tried it and felt no change at all.

"Paula: Actually, we know that antidepressants are associated with suicide, it’s not a cause/effect relationship. Come on, think about it, if you’re taking antidepressants, you’re already predisposed to suicide. That’s probably why you’re taking them. OF COURSE the two are associated."

Don't talk about this like you know. I took ad's and NEVER wanted to commit suicide. On the other hand my ex took some that were grossly mis-prescribed and soon after he had to be hospitalized for a few weeks for multiple personalities. Medication is not something to be handled lightly.

whatstheharm.net

First of all, regarding medical evidence - the NIH (National Institutes of Health) has been doing scientific research on acupuncture for years, including a groundbreaking study from 1998 done in conjunction with the U. of Arizona. This study was conducted by a research professor/psychiatrist (John Allen, PhD) and an experienced acupuncturist (Rosa Schnyer). The study was for women suffering from major (clinical) depression, and showed fantastic results: "After completion of acupuncture treatment for depression, 70% of the women experienced at least a 50% reduction of symptoms, results comparable to the success rate of psychotherapy and medication." ...but without the horrible side effects of meds! This study is great news especially for people who cannot take medication (ex. pregnant women), can't afford meds, or for whom meds haven't worked. BTW - the participants receiving the placebo had very different results (some of course reacted to it but much less than normally do in medical studies). This study is REAL SCIENTIFIC proof for all you doubters out there, and I can tell you from personal experience also - it works. I have been taking anti-depressants for 10+ years and have had some minor successes but most have been completely ineffective, and with a load of bad side effects (& permanent damage to my liver & kidneys). I'm what they call "treatment resistant" meaning I become immune to meds quickly. I gave up that there was anything out there that could help me. A good friend encouraged me to try acu., but I was skeptical so did some research and that's how I found about the U of AZ study. I have been getting acupuncture (& some cupping) since October '08 and it's results on me are much better than meds ever were - with no side effects, no waiting-period (anti-D's take 6-8 weeks to kick in), and in general is a kinder, more caring and much more effective process than what Western "Professionals" put me through. I'm not saying that I'm against Western ways completely (and I'm aware of the fact that I may have to go on some kind of meds again in the future - this illness is unpredictable and greatly misunderstood), but each person has to make their own decision and find what's right for them. I do wish someone had suggested I try this a long time ago, but I'm so glad I found it and it has given me new hope. If you are suffering from Major Depressive Disorder (UniPolar) or BiPolar - or know someone who is - I cannot recommend strongly enough that you look into this research yourself:
www.mcmanweb.com/acupuncture.html
-AND- www.heall.com/body/altmed/trea...ssion.html
-ALSO- Google: Rosa Schnyer (she has a few books on the topic)

FYI - Acupuncture is becoming affordable to all through the "Community Acupuncture" network [communityacupuncturenetwork.org]. Most charge only between $15.-$40. per session (sliding, based on need), because they believe that you shouldn't have to be rich to get quality health treatment. (My last shrink charged $200./hr. and did nothing for me). More clinics are opening every day.

The clinic I go to (WorkSong Chinese Medicine in Greenpoint, Brooklyn) is in this network. Without the treatment I've been receiving, I wouldn't have had the energy or the motivation to even write this post. I'm just sayin', it's for real.

Michelle LaDue is my niece as well as my oriental medicine practioner. Cupping saved me from pneumonia three years ago and it never reoccurred. Michelle did cupping on my back early afternoon before she had to return to Manhatten from Old Forge very upstate New York). After she left my daughter got worried with my low energy and took me to the emergency room 50 miles away in Utica. I had low energy as I believe all my energy was then balancing the body and riding it of what had gotten moving with the cupping. The drs were sure I had pneumonia but could see nothing in the ex rays. both drs were oriental. i told them i had had cupping a few hours earlier. they looked at my back and nodded to each other. the illness was already on its way out and that was why it did not show up on x ray though I still had some symptoms and kept me for a overnight and the next day just to be sure the cupping had done its job. thank you Michelle. I have had no lung issues since.

Michelle LaDue is my daughter and my primary care physician.
Since I am a graphic designer I spent many hours on the computer every day.
I developed such pain in my shoulder from the repetitive action of using the mouse to design. This pain was totally gone and hasn't returned in a year after having cupping done. I totally believe in Oriental Medicine...the more natural the better for me.

I hate how quick some people are to think that anything that's not a part of their culture is crap. I was watching a commercial for a medication. I forgot the name, but in tiny print at the bottom, it read something to the effect: We don't know how this medication actually works. It was of course in nicer language. But doctors prescribe things without knowing how the medication elicits a desired response all the time. We have this image of the man in the white coat who knows everything. We've been fed this image since we were children. We think they are selfless angels.

What a pretty picture. Too bad it's usually crap. You know how doctors tell you "you can tell me anything, we don't judge"? I've worked in a clinic. I've seen a doctor smile in a worried patients face, then come to the backroom and badmouth this, as she put it, "nasty dyke". I've seen the mail that comes to the office. It's mostly medication samples and gift cards from medication companies. I've seen doctors get gift baskets and even cruise tickets from these companies! What do the companies want in return? I think we can all figure that out.

I'm not saying all doctors are judgmental, or that they all belittle alternative practices. I've seen quite a few ones who are genuinely selfless and open minded. Has anyone seen the show "The Doctors"? Well, during one episode they were "discussing" a kombucha mushroom drink. By "discussing" I mean they were basically saying "ewww, gross". This drink is made out of fermented mushroom. Drinkers say the benefits are increased energy, better immune system and regularity. ONE doctor, actually tried it for a week. He said all the benefits were true. Even after one of their own said it really worked, the rest still basically brushed it off as gross. They basically said it was "rotten". What they're really saying is it's not their culture. I bet they don't turn their noses up at beer, cheese, wine, yogurt etc.

It's not all the fault of the doctors. It's their schools. They don't teach about any alternative practices. Doctors have to research that themselves if they are interested. Even in harvard, the only nutrition training they get is 2 hours. Which is more than a lot of medical schools including john Hopkins. Middle schoolers get more time! That's enough time to learn "vegetables are good", but not enough time to learn medicinal uses of food. Did you know that eating raw garlic daily works as well for E.D. as those medications? Dr.Oz had a special on Discovery health where he did some experiments with participants. This was one of them. (see all doctors aren't bad)

The thing with doctors is they don't do wellness. They are only useful if your sick. And if you're sick, they make more money. If their was a way for them to benefit from your good health, they would do it. But no one goes to a doctor when they feel fine, but they might go to an acupuncturist, because they do wellness. I don't know why some people think acupuncturists are scammers. Why would people go to school for 6 years if they know what they're doing is a scam? Why would people keep going to these scammers for thousands of years?

Maybe there's more to it that what we see. Even Dr.Oz says that the future of medicine will be energy medicine. There are people who call herbalism, massage, hypnosis, organic food, yoga, chiropractic practitioners, psychiatry etc. crap. Well if you don't think it's for you, don't do it. We should all be proactive when it comes to our health, and we should all be able to take charge of our health and health practices. If someone wants to take unnecessary medication for a stomach ache instead of drinking a cup of ginger tea, because they don't think anything natural can work, I think it's sad.

I think this competition between natural and conventional is unnecessary. Both have their place. If you're bleeding out the back of your head, it's not the time for aromatherapy. If you have a headache, it's not the time for surgery. (unless it's a tumor or something). Using conventional medicine can be overkill. If you can't sleep, try some lavender, kava, valerian, melatonin or cutting out caffeine before you get a powerful prescription that might cause some horrible side effect. There's no reason alternative medicine can't be used alongside conventional medicine.

As for alternative medicine being nothing more than a fancy placebo: Even patients who don't believe in them have benefited from them. Some medications and surgeries don't work for everyone, should we just say those are all made-up crap? If you've taken a medication and think natural can't possibly be as good as medications, the latest statistic was 50% of the medications prescribed today are placebos. The mind is a powerful thing. People can be hypnotize to withstand surgery without anesthesia. And some people still say hypnosis is crap. There are too many studies saying acupuncture works better than placebos for me to think it's crap. And even if there weren't, there are too many people who have benefited from it for me to dismiss it as crap. Of course some people will find a study saying it doesn't work. Like medication, what works for some people might not work for others. Personalization is key.