Can cupping be performed during menstruation?

As we all know, cupping is an ancient method of removing moisture. Whenever we feel dizzy, nauseous or even want to vomit, cupping will make us feel much better, but the time and method required by each person are different. Friends who are doing cupping for the first time are better to do it for a short time, otherwise they will get hurt. So, can cupping be done during menstruation? What should you pay attention to?

Cupping therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine is also known as the "horn method". Cupping is often used to promote blood circulation, stimulate vital energy, and regulate the balance of yin and yang in the body. During menstruation, the body is in a poor state and the pelvic cavity is in a state of congestion, which will cause back pain, lower abdominal pain, fatigue and other discomforts. At this time, the body is already weak and cupping will drain the blood, making it even weaker. It is also easy to have irregular menstruation and prolong the menstrual period. But cupping can relieve dysmenorrhea.

Cupping is a therapy that uses a cup as a tool and utilizes methods such as burning fire and pumping air to create negative pressure, causing the cup to adsorb onto the body surface, causing local blood stasis, in order to achieve the effects of dredging meridians, promoting qi and blood circulation, reducing swelling and relieving pain, and dispelling wind and cold. Cupping therapy has a long history in China. As early as in the silk book "Fifty-two Prescriptions for Diseases" written in the Western Han Dynasty, there were records about "horn method", which is similar to the fire cupping therapy in later generations. Cupping therapy was also popular in ancient Greece and Rome.

The patient lies in prone position, and the doctor applies appropriate amount of herbal oil on the skin of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the outer upper edge of the trapezius muscle in the neck and shoulders that are sore, numb, and painful. The doctor then attaches the cupping jar to the skin and pushes the cupping jar back and forth on the affected area until purple-red or purple-black spots appear on the local skin. There are many types of jars commonly used at present, including bamboo jars, glass jars, vacuum jars, etc.

After reading this, I believe everyone has already understood whether cupping can be performed during menstruation. Although cupping can relieve dysmenorrhea, it may prolong menstruation and cause many women to lose too much blood, which can cause anemia and make them prone to fainting. Therefore, it is best not to use cupping during menstruation.