My Journey of becoming a TCM Physician Chap 10: Cupping Expert

The day came when I finally rotated to bask in the Acupuncture department, which was one of the hot department ranked by us Singaporean interns. Because it was where all the very traditional rustic methods and techniques would be happening. But! I didn’t spend my days with needles first. Instead, because my group had odd number of interns, one of us had to go over to a small sub department first for the first week. And somehow or rather, it was me that had to go over first. And this sub department was the Cupping (拔罐) Department.

cupping-expert

Inside there was one senior that was taking care of the patients who needed Cupping. So I was assigned to assist her.

I still remembered I started out with getting on the hang of registering the patients and taking the cups out when the time was up. Then as more and more patients came in, I had to step up to execute the cupping treatment as well. I was super green when I started. And how did I know that? Number one, a few cups flew out my hands when I did the cupping (luckily some were made of bamboo). Number two, my senior glided the cups on dry skin as if there was oil as the lubricant already. I moved the cups as though I was moving across sandpaper and a few times again the cup popped out of the skin instead of sliding across. Number three, my senior made the popping sound in Flash Cupping (闪罐) that was crisp and loud like fire cracker while my popping sound was flat like a deflated basketball hitting the ground.

I was quite frustrated the first few days as I took very long to execute one treatment, together with fumbling with the alcohol and fire and cups flying out on and off from my grip. Also it felt like a gym training for my arms with just one treatment done. Then try imagine multiplying that by 30 to 40 times in a day. I literally saw my arms and fingers shook after the first day in the department. And I was then totally enlightened about why my senior had to wear a wristband at her dominant wrist.

First 2 days were more of a torture, if I could remembered. Then came third and fourth day and there was one morning my senior had taken a morning off for a meeting, so it was me that handled all the morning appointments and the logistics and flow of things! Did I pull it off? Yes of course. Because I still remembered my senior came back just before lunch and commented, “已经可以独挡一面了啊“(you could be practising independently already)

So thinking back, cupping was something close to my heart as well in my current practice. Because in that week of immersing and baking in the Cupping department, I was literally exposed to cupping of all sorts of areas and all kinds of variation of cupping. Some so traditional that I find it non existent in anywhere else. And that period of time in the department really set my grounds and confidence to what this technique can do for treatment.

It may look simple and could be done by anyone, with the fact that this technique is offered by salons and spas and untrained hands. But just know that it is way beyond that – the techniques, the philosophies, the indications and suitability, the beauty of the execution itself.

I suggest experience the real thing one day for yourself.

Read more about The difference between Cupping, Guasha, Bojin, Tuina here.

TCM Life Story, TCM WellnessXiang Jun LimDr (TCM) Xiang Juntcm, acupuncture, cupping