It is a traditional Chinese medical technique which applies suction to diseased parts of the body using ceramic glass or bamboo cups in order to increase the regional circulation and thereby promote healing. In very ancient times the horns of animals were used for this purpose.

Cupping refers to an ancient Chinese practice in which a cup is applied to the skin and the pressure in the cup is reduced (by using change in heat or by suctioning out air), so that the skin and superficial muscle layer is drawn into and held in the cup. In some cases, the cup may be moved while the suction of skin is active, causing a regional pulling of the skin and muscle (the technique is called gliding cupping).

This treatment has some relation to certain massage techniques, such as the rapid skin pinching along the back that is an important aspect of tuina (12). In that practice, the skin is pinched, sometimes at specific points (e.g., bladder meridian points), until a redness is generated. Cupping is applied by acupuncturists to certain acupuncture points, as well as to regions of the body that are affected by pain (where the pain is deeper than the tissues to be pulled). When the cups are moved along the surface of the skin, the treatment is somewhat like guasha (literally, sand scraping), a folk remedy of southeast Asia which is often carried out by scraping the skin with a coin or other object with the intention of breaking up stagnation. Movement of the cups is a gentler technique than guasha, as a lubricant allows the cup to slide without causing as much of the subcutaneous bruising that is an objective of guasha. Still, a certain amount of bruising is expected both from fixed position cupping (especially at the site of the cup rim) and with movement of the cups.

Traditional cupping, with use of heated cups, also has some similarity to moxibustion therapy. Heating of the cups was the method used to obtain suction: the hot air in the cups has a low density and, as the cups cool with the opening sealed by the skin, the pressure within the cups declines, sucking the skin into it. In this case, the cups are hot and have a stimulating effect something like that of burning moxa wool.

In some cases, a small amount of blood letting (luoci; vein pricking) is done first, using a pricking needle, and then the cup is applied over the site. The pricking is usually done with a three-edged needle, applied to a vein, and it typically draws 3–4 drops of blood (sometimes the skin on either side is squeezed to aid release of blood). A standard thick-gauge acupuncture needle or plum blossom needle may be used instead. This technique is said to promote blood circulation, remove stasis, and alleviate swelling and pain. It is employed especially when there is a toxic heat syndrome and for a variety of acute ailments.

During the 20th century, new glass cups were developed (see Figure 1). Common drinking glasses have been used for this purpose, but thick glass cupping devices have also been produced and are preferred. The introduction of glass cups helped greatly, since the pottery cups broke very easily and the bamboo cups would deteriorate with repeated heating. Glass cups were easier to make than the brass or iron cups that were sometimes used as sturdy substitutes for the others; further, one could see the skin within the cup and evaluate the degree of response.

The glass cups are depressurized by providing some fire in the cup to heat up the air within just prior to placement. For example, hold a cotton ball dipped in alcohol with a pincer, ignite it, hold it in the cup, then rapidly apply to the skin; this is called shanhuofa (flash-fire cupping; see Figure 2). Sometimes, a small amount alcohol is put in the cup and lit; this method is called dijiufa (alcohol-fire cupping).

At the end of the 20th century, another method of suction was developed in which a valve was constructed at the top of the jar and a small hand-operated pump is attached so that the practitioner could suction out air without relying on fire (thus avoiding some hazards and having greater control over the amount of suction). Both glass and plastic cups were developed, though the plastic ones are not very well suited to moving along the skin once in place, as the edges are not entirely smooth and the strength of the cups is limited. The modern name for cupping is baguanfa (suction cup therapy).

In order to allow easy movement of the glass cups along the skin, some oil is applied. Medicated massage oils (with extracts of herbs) are particularly useful for this purpose. Since the cups are applied at room temperature, the indication of removing cold from the channels is no longer as applicable, at least to stationary cups. There is some friction generated with moving cups, so that there is a small but significant amount of heat applied by that method, especially if a warming oil is used as lubricant.

Generally, the cup is left in place for about 10 minutes (typical range is 5–15 minutes). The skin becomes reddened due to the congestion of blood flow. The cup is removed by pressing the skin along side it to allow some outside air to leak into it, thus equalizing the pressure and releasing it. Some bruising along the site of the rim of the cup is expected.

Today, cupping is mainly recommended for the treatment of pain, gastro-intestinal disorders, lung diseases (especially chronic cough and asthma), and paralysis, though it can be used for other disorders as well. The areas of the body that are fleshy are preferred sites for cupping. Contraindications for cupping include: areas of skin that are inflamed; cases of high fever, convulsions or cramping, or easy bleeding (i.e., pathological level of low platelets); or the abdominal area or lower back during pregnancy. Movement of the cups is limited to fleshy areas: the movement should not cross bony ridges, such as the spine. Following are some of the recommended treatment sites for various disorders.

This primitive dialectic materialistic theory is in which the old ones were based to explain the phenomena of the nature, that said that everything in her was formed by 5 elements and that these had relation of creation and dominion. WOOD – FIRE – EARTH – METAL – WATER

Considering this principle, from the power point of view, the man is a synthesis between the Water and the Fire.

As it will be mentioned in the second part of the course, the health is a balance between the ancestral and adaptive axis.

Let us see a correlation of these elements:
· The Wood and the Metal are the elements of Support and Transition
· The Earth is the element of Transmutation and passage that represents the interstations of 18 days each one [1]. Next we will see a progressive enumeration of the things that we must know each uo of the elements, also like a correlation to include/understand it.

1. Each element corresponds with a station of the year that dominates

Wood ———————————————————–Spring
Fire ————————————————————-Summer
Earth ————————————————————-Dog days [2]
Metal ————————————————————-Autumn
Water ————————————————————–Winter

2. Each station of the year corresponds with an exogenous factor

Wood ——————– Spring —————————-Wind
Fire ———————- Summer —————————— Heat
Earth ———————- Dog days —————————– Humidity
Metal ———————- Autumn ——————————– Dryness
Water ———————– Winter —————————— Cold

3. Each exogenous factor corresponds with an organ that can be affected:

Wood ———–Spring ————-Wind ——————Liver
Fire ————-Summer —————-Heat ——————Heart
Earth ————-Dog days —————Humidity ——-Spleen_ pancreas_stomach
Metal ————-Autumn —————–Dryness —————Lung
Water ————–Winter —————Cold ———————Kidney

4. Each organ is related as well to a group of viscera

Wood ——Spring ——-Wind ——-Liver ———-Muscles and ligaments
Fire ——Summer ——–Heat ——-Heart —-Heart, arteries, veins and blood
Earth —Dog days —Humidity —Spleen_ pancreas_stomach —Subcutaneous cellular weave
Metal ——-Autumn ——-Dryness ———Lung ————-Skin
Water ——Winter ——–Cold ————–Kidney ——–Bones, bony marrow, teeth

5. Each group of viscera is related to a sense.

Wood —Spring —Wind —Liver —Muscles and ligaments —Vista
Fire —Summer —Heat —Heart —Heart, arteries, veins and blood —Taste
Earth–Dog days–Humidity–Spleen _ pancreas_ stomach–Subcutaneous cellular weave–Tact
Metal —Autumn —Dryness —Lung —Skin —Sense of smell
Water —Winter —Cold —Kidney —Bones, bony marrow, teeth —Ear

6. Each element corresponds as well with some of the emotions:

Wood —Spring —Wind —Liver —Muscles and ligaments —Vista —Rage
Fire —Summer —Heat —Heart —Heart, arteries, veins and blood —Taste —Hatred
Earth —Dog days —-Humidity —Spleen_pancreas_stomach —Subcutaneous cellular weave– – Tact —-Reflection
Metal —Autumn —Dryness —Lung —Skin —Sense of smell —Sadness
Water —Winter —Cold —Kidney —Bones, bony marrow, teeth —Ear —Fear

7. In order to finalize, we analyze how to recognize the tension of each element and as they are its tendencies, that is to say, that an abuse or tension exists and we relate it to which would have to appear.

Wood (tendency: to call) —-Spring —-Wind —-Liver —-Muscles and ligaments —Vista —Rage —Abuse in the eyes
Fire (tendency: to laugh) —Summer —Heat —Heart —Heart, arteries, veins and blood —Taste —Hatred —Abuse to walk
Earth (tendency: to sing) —Dog days —Humidity —Spleen – pancreas – stomach —Subcutaneous cellular weave —Tact —Reflection —Abuse to seat
Metal (tendency: to shout) —-Autumn —Dryness —Lung —Skin —-Sense of smell —-Sadness —-Abuse to lie down
Water (tendency: to moan) —Winter —Cold —Kidney —Bones, bony marrow, teeth —Ear – Fear —Abuse to remain standing up

[1] the stations of the year, for old China, lasted of 72 days, for that reason the stations are 5

[2] Dog days is the summer end, and an independent station is considered according to the Chinese.

http://natural-people.com/definition-of-the-ear-acupuncture-and-concepts-of-the-somatotopy/

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The Ear Acupuncture is diagnosis and treatment of diseases, whereas the Ear-medicine is the diagnosis of diseases.

Is cradle in Medicine Chinese Traditional (MTC) and in the foundations that Paul Nogier in France in 1950 gave. The foundation of this technique is based, as it is seen more ahead, on the stimulation of points located in the ear through the skin

Somatotopys

They exist in some parts of the organism, zones where in the same ones one is represented in its totality the whole body. These are:

the hands the feet the eyes the skull the forehead the nose language the mucosa of cornetes nasal a triangular zone in the neck in the ear

To these places somatotopys is called to them. Briefly we can say, that they are the complete image of the organism in that site. For that reason Acupuncture, Craneopuntur and other forms of stimulation are effective by the stimulation in those points.

We can affirm that somatotopys is true holograms, that is to say, images projected in its totality if we left from the concept of which “in a part it is the whole and the whole is in a part”.

Nowadays, the public has knowledge of the immense therapeutic possibilities of the ear, since there are very many evidences of treatments from simple pathologies to other important ones that they had been many years of evolution and that they occurred like incurables by orthodox techniques.

By the ear we can make presumptive diagnoses that soon we will confirm with the clinic, with the signs and symptoms that our patient and with the Biopathographical history of he himself presents/displays, without never losing the idea that the human being who resorts to us, is not only one ear, but that we must consider everything what relates to us, not solely in the clinical aspect, but and very specially everything what he affects it in the spiritual plane, psychic and in his diverse bodies mental, astral, eteric and physical.

Diverse symptomatology can only be due to a single cause and our task is exactly to try to individualize to the same one by means of some auricular finding of importance.

EASTERN CRITERIA OF THE NATURAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINE 

THE TAO

The philosophy of the TAO is I accumulate of the thought of the man during several years, raises that in a phenomenon 2 categories that are opposed, nonantagonistic exist and that everything in the nature can be classified in these 2 categories Yin and Yang; the theory Yin and Yang is given off here.

THEORY YIN AND YANG

Yin and Yang are the denominations that occur to the 2 fundamental principles or universal forces them, always oppositely and complementing itself mutually. They are philosophical concepts of the antiquity applied to all the material phenomena.

In I finish general everything what it is in movement, the outside, and ascent and that is hot, sure functional and hyperactive belongs to the Yang, whereas dark, material and dysfunctional everything what is in rest, the interior and reduction, and is cold, belongs to the Yin.

Yin and Yang are not absolute but relative. This relativity is reflected in conditions into which the Yin and the Yang one in its opposite can be transformed each, the Yin becomes Yang and this in Yin.

PRINCIPLES OF THEORY YIN-YAN

YIN	YANG
(feminine)	(masculine)
cold	heat
the dark	light
interior	outside
solid organ (zang)	viscera (fu)
blood energy	nervous
chronic disease	acute disease
tendency to the obesity	thinness
somnolence	insomnia
hypotherm	hypertherm
sadness and apathy	agitation
dull glance	brilliant
dull voice	vibrant
weak aspect	arrogant
pesimism	optimism

2 – Principle of Unit and Interdependence:

The Yin and the Yang have opposite qualities to each other, but both maintain unit and are interdependent. The external Yang of the body defends the organism of the aggression of the pathogenic agents, and the internal Yin transports the nutritious values to all the organs.

But so that the Yang fulfills its function requires of the nutritious values that the internal Yin contributes to him, and this it needs the protection of the external Yang as well to act its as. Therefore if the Yin and the Yang lose their condition of interdependence, they will not be able to exist nor to grow.

3 – Principle of Intertransformation

The Yin and the Yang are not static, but that stay in constant movement of transformation happening of Yin to Yang and vice versa, is a constant growth and decrease, that is to say, when the Yang grows the Yin decreases vice versa and. Ej. Is the changes of the day to the night.

THEORY OF THE FIVE ELEMENTS

It is a primitive dialectic materialistic theory in which the old ones were based to explain the phenomena of the nature, that said that everything in her was formed by 5 elements and that these had relation of creation and dominion.

1 – Principle of Interdependence or Intergeneration

It implies to promote the growth, the order of generation. Each element always is generated (son) and simultaneously generating (mother) this knows like relation “mother-son” the 5 elements.

In this principle the following rule is fulfilled:
In fullness sedating to the son, sedo to the mother
In emptiness tonic to the mother, tonic to the son 

2 – Principle of Opposition or Interdominancy

This principle talks about to the relation of opposition or dominancy between all the factors, that is to say, which I win and what she wins to me.

Here the following rule is fulfilled:
Tonific to the grandmother/relax to the grandson
Relax to the tonific grandmother/to the grandson

3 – Principle of excess in domaincy and Contradominancy

It means the abnormal relations, that is to say, the pathological phenomena; they appear when the imbalance among them takes place, due to the fullness or drained of those of the 5 elements

The excess in domeincy is as the launching of an attack when counterpart is weak reason why this excess exceeds the permissible limits and demonstrates that the things are broken their normal relations harmonious

Ej. If the Qi of the wood is hyperactive and the metal cannot control it as it must, then the hyperactive wood will dominate still more in Earth excess debilitating it.

The contradomaincy means opposite domaincy and is another manifestation of lost of the normal relations harmonious of the things, implies that the strong thing runs over to the weak thing.

Ej. In a normal correlation of domaincy if the metal is deficient or the Qi of the hyperactive wood, then the wood dominates or to contradomine the metal.

4 – Principle of Halting

This principle is subject to the relations of the principles of Interdependence and Opposition, that is to say, the halting means to win and to create

The relations settle down in 5 groups:
. The fire wins to the metal, this it creates to the water and this wins to the fire
. The metal wins to the wood, this creates to the fire and this it wins to the metal.
. The water wins to the fire, this it creates to the Earth and this wins to the water.
. The Earth wins to the water, this it creates to the wood and this wins to the Earth.
. The wood wins to the Earth, this creates to the metal and this wins to the wood.

THEORY OF ORGANS ZANFU

Zanfu is the generic name of the internal organs of the body, that includes/understands the 5 the extraordinary organs and the 6 vísceras and organs.

This theory studies the physiological functions and the pathological changes of the organs of the body, as well as their interrelations.

The 5 organs are: Heart, Liver, Pancreas Spleen, Lung and Kidney; and the 5 viscera are: Biliary vesicle, Stomach, heavy, Internal Intestine thin and bladder.

The physiological functions of the 5 organs are: to produce and to store the corporal Jing, Qi, blood (Xue) and liquids, and the 5 vísceras are: to receive and to ferment foods and the water, to transform and to transport the nutritious substances and the wastes. The extraordinary organs include brain, marrow, bone, glass and uterus.

The Zangfu organs are not in Chinese Traditional Medicine a purely anatomical concept, which is more important, they are a physiological or pathological concept, therefore the Heart not only represents an anatomical structure; also it includes/understands certain functions from the nervous system and mainly of the brain; for that reason the “Heart” of the theory of the Zanfu does not have to be compared completely to the heart in the anatomy of the Western Medicine.

Functions of the organs Zang – Fu:

Heart

1 – It commands the blood vessels and it controls the circulation of the blood
2 – It commands the mental conscience and activities
3 – It is reflected in the language.

Lung 

1 – It governs the Qi and it controls the breathing.
2 – It activates the flow of Qi and one communicates with the skin and hair.
3 – It controls the purification and the reduction of the Qi.
4 – It is reflected in the nose.

Liver 

1 – It stores the blood and it regulates the amount that circulates.
2 – It defends it purifies and it excretes.
3 – It is related to the sinews, muscles and the nails.
4 – It is related to the eyes.

Pancreas Spleen

1 – It participates with the stomach in the digestion and provides the nutritious substances to all the organism.
2 – It actively takes part in the absorption and excretion of the humidity in the human body
3 – It directs and it administers the blood
4 – It is related closely to muscles of the members, the mouth and the lips

Kidneys

1 – It stores the Jing energy
2 – It commands the water
3 – Inspiratory of the lungs commands the energy
4 – It is related closely to the bones, bony marrow and the brain
5 – It is related to the hair
6 – It has narrow relation with the ears, anus and organs of the reproduction

Biliary vesicle 

1 – It accumulates bile.
2 – It influences in the mental activities.

Small Intestine 

1 – It participates in the digestion and it absorbs the humidity.

Stomach

1 – It receives, it digests and it sends the meals towards the thin intestine.

Heavy intestine

1 – It absorbs the liquids of the digested meals and transports the rest to excrete.

bladder

1 – It stores and it excretes it tinkles it produced in the kidneys, and takes part in the increase and diminution of the amount of liquid in the body