How to put fireless cups with a pump?
Fireless cupping with a pump is extremely simple, and at the same time it allows you to easily control the suction of the cup on the skin. This method allows us to enjoy the benefits of cupping therapy both in the clinic and at home. We can ask someone else to put fireless cups with a pump or do it ourselves. Thanks to these undoubted advantages placing plastic vacuum cups is a great alternative to traditional fire cupping. The following article is an instruction on how to put cups with a pump in an easy, quick and fun way!
Where to place fireless cups?
At the beginning we have to choose a place where we will put fireless cups. In the case of diseases or ailments of the respiratory tract, cups are traditionally placed on the back. The place of cupping will depend on the ailment that affects us and the therapeutic method we have chosen. For example, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments, cups can be put directly on selected acupuncture points (so-called acupuncture cups). You can read more about where to place medical cups for various ailments in other articles on our blog.
Before putting the cup
The cupping treatment should be preceded by proper preparation of the skin, oiling it with massage oil which will facilitate the suction of the cup on the skin and enhance the effectiveness of the treatment. For this purpose, you can use any oil for manual massage, for example, such as this one here.
Putting fireless cups and using a pump
Fireless cups are cups that are placed without the use of fire. In vacuum cups, the underpressure in the cup is created by pumping out the air with a pump. It is usually included in the set of cups, but such a pump can also be purchased separately.
We start the treatment by connecting the cup to the pump. At the top of each cup there is a yellow valve. We connect the pump at this top point of the cup. Before we do this it is good to make sure that the yellow valve is loose. The pump can be connected to the cups directly or with the help of a rubber tube. The use of a rubber tube is especially recommended when we do cupping on our own body. The use of the tube allows us to place cups even on our backs!
After connecting the cup, we place it on desired point on the body, on the properly prepared skin (lubricated with massage oil).
Then pull the handle on the pump. The number of strokes on the handle (movements) determines how strongly the cup will be sucked on the skin. Using cups with a pump allows for very precise selection of the suction power. Approximately, we can take the following indication:
- half movement = light suction
- one movement = medium suction
- two movements = strong suction
When the cup sticks to the skin, disconnect the pump. We can then move on to placing another cup.
How to remove fireless bubbles from the skin?
After the cupping treatment is completed, the cups should be removed from the skin. The easiest way to do this is to pull the yellow valve on the top. The air will get back inside and the cup will fall off by itself.
Contraindications and precautions
In order to place cups safely we must remember about the basic safety rules and contraindications. As a rule, cupping should not be done in the case of severely weakened or frail people, very elderly people, people with high fever, people suffering from convulsions or muscle cramps and people suffering from blood coagulation disorders or taking anticoagulants. We should also be careful in the case of pregnant women (then putting cups on the belly is categorically excluded) and when we do cupping on children. Cups should be placed away from major arteries or pulse, edema, open wounds or skin disorders. Also, cups must not be placed on joints with a small amount of muscle (e.g. on the back of the elbow or the front of the knee), bone fractures, tumors, nipples or body openings (eyes, mouth, anus).
Plastic cups with a pump should not be used for cut cupping technique, the sliding technique or when we perform cupping massage. In the last two cases, silicone or rubber Chinese cups will be much better, which, unlike plastic cups, have gentle, smooth edges that slide easily over the skin without causing discomfort to the patient. In turn, in the cut cupping technique plastic cups should not be used because during the procedure blood may get into the valve and it will be difficult to wash this part of the cup. In this case, traditional fire glass cups will work much better.
We must also remember that after the procedure, the cups should be disinfected or at least washed. This is especially important when we perform the procedure in the clinic and use the same fireless medical cups on several different patients.
Other types of fireless cups
Vacuum cupping with a pump is just one type of fireless cupping. Another type of cups that do not use fire to place them are rubber or silicone Chinese cups, as well as glass cups with a pear type pump.
In addition to fireless cupping, there are also other types of medical cupping - fire glass, copper and bamboo cups. You can read more about the techniques of placing Chinese cups in our other articles. The method of cupping you choose depends on your personal preferences!
