Cupping/Electro-Acupuncture

You may have learned about cupping while watching the Olympic Games or browsing gossip magazines. Cupping is a healing modality that uses glass cups to create suction on areas of the body that need blood flow. It is a great treatment for tight muscles, and is similar to a deep tissue massage. It is also a great adjunctive therapy for chronic coughs that linger, and also areas of inflammation. Cups are placed on the body, by using suction and generating blood flow to areas of the body, helping to encourage healing. It is not painful. Most patients will have red or purplish cup marks on the areas treated for 3-7 days, depending on the patient’s condition.

Electro- Acupuncture uses a device that attaches to acupuncture needles, sending pulsing waves of energy to areas of the body. This allows acupuncture points to be stimulated and thus increases blood flow to specific areas being treated. Common conditions treated with electro-acupuncture are low back pain, and fertility (helps increase blood flow to the uterus with an end result of creating a thicker endometrial lining).