Can cupping be performed during menstruation?

You should be extra cautious and careful when doing anything during menstruation. For example, cupping is not suitable during menstruation, as it can easily cause blood vessels to dilate and blood flow to accelerate, leading to prolonged menstruation and excessive menstrual flow. Therefore, cupping should not be used during menstruation or when you are having bad luck.

1. Principle

Cupping is a method of treating diseases based on the principle of thermal expansion and contraction. It uses an instantaneous flame to form a vacuum negative pressure in the cup, which is sucked into the human body, causing the body's meridians to be benignly stimulated, thereby unblocking qi and blood, causing blood vessels to dilate, accelerating blood flow, enhancing metabolism, and rapidly improving the body's nutritional tissues, thereby reflexively enhancing the phagocytic ability of white blood cells, improving the body's immune function, and achieving the purpose of curing diseases and strengthening the body.

2. Function

1. Mechanical stimulation. Cupping therapy creates negative pressure inside the cup by exhausting air, allowing the edge of the cup to adhere tightly to the skin surface, pulling the nerves, muscles, blood vessels and subcutaneous glands, which can cause a series of neuroendocrine reactions, regulate vasodilation and contraction function and vascular permeability, thereby improving local blood circulation.

2. Negative pressure effect. The negative pressure of cupping causes local congestion and blood stasis rapidly, small capillaries may even rupture, red blood cells may be destroyed, and hemolysis may occur. The release of hemoglobin in red blood cells is a benign stimulus to the body. It can bidirectionally regulate the functions of tissues and organs through the nervous system, while promoting the phagocytic action of white blood cells, increasing the skin's sensitivity and tolerance to external changes, and thus enhancing the body's immunity. Secondly, the powerful suction force of negative pressure can fully open the sweat pores, stimulate and enhance the functions of sweat glands and sebaceous glands, and cause aging cells on the surface of the skin to fall off, thereby accelerating the discharge of toxins and waste in the body.

3. Warming effect. The local warming effect of cupping not only dilates blood vessels and increases blood flow, but also enhances the permeability of blood vessel walls and the phagocytic ability of cells. The changes in vascular tone and mucosal permeability at the cupping site accelerate lymphatic circulation and enhance phagocytosis, which undoubtedly create a good environment for resisting biological causes of infectious lesions. In addition, the chronic stimulation of hemolysis has a health-care function for the human body.

3. Contraindications

Cupping therapy is not suitable for pregnant women, women during menstruation, people with thin muscles, children under 6 years old, people over 70 years old, people with mental illness, edema, heart failure, active tuberculosis, acute infectious diseases, diseases with bleeding tendency, as well as eyes, ears, nipples, front and back pubic area, heart beat area, areas where large blood vessels pass, uneven bone areas, areas with excessive hair, etc.