Ozone Cupping: Expectations vs. Reality

Cupping as a therapeutic treatment goes back at least 3,500 years. Ancient texts from Egypt, China, the Middle East and nearly all other cultures around the world detail the application of cups to the body as a way to facilitate bodily detoxification, improved immunity and pain relief. Today, ongoing research continues to shed light on this type of “primitive” treatment, providing evidence that cupping really can deliver physiological benefits. In addition to a reduction of their pain, many patients say cupping alleviates the symptoms of acute injuries (such as pinched nerves and tight muscles), as well as provides beneficial effects when used to treat certain chronic disorders (like high blood pressure, insomnia, headaches, fatigue, inflammation and more). When coupled with ozone therapy, a newer, but still well-researched therapy, many clinicians believe cupping to be an effective and safe alternative to other, far more invasive treatment options for skin and musculoskeletal issues. Keep reading if you want to know more about the specifics of ozone cupping.

What is Ozone Cupping?

Ozone therapy and cupping are not new-age, untested treatments. They are proven options for wound care and joint-related pain and can be used in tandem to trigger the immune system, reduce inflammation and speed cellular division and growth. 

Ozone cupping works by combining ozone with suction and pressure to deactivate toxins in the body and increase blood flow. During a regular cupping treatment, a cup is pressed against the skin to create a vacuum that sucks toxins away from the body. An ozone cupping treatment, however, uses a cup to push ozone gas into the body. 

Ozone is a form of oxygen; it has an additional oxygen atom and, in gas form, has been shown to have many beneficial qualities, including the ability to inactivate bacteria, viruses and other pathogens, as well as speed up natural wound healing. Evidence indicates that when properly administered, ozone therapy combined with cupping therapy is safe and often effective at triggering white blood cells to hasten natural immunoregulatory functions that prove advantageous in cellular detoxification and regeneration.

Fact vs. Fiction

Many patients have misconceptions about ozone therapy. Here’s the truth:

• You Don’t Need to Worry; Ozone Cupping is Safe! – The danger of breathing in excess ozone is eliminated with the use of a special ozone destruct vessel that captures any ozone that doesn’t get pushed into the skin by the cup.

• It Might Seem Like Ozone Cupping Would Hurt, But It Doesn’t! – Ozone cupping uses vacuum pressure to create a seal between the cup and a patient’s skin. There are no incisions made, and patients usually only feel their skin being pulled taut. Bruising usually occurs following any type of cupping, so the most often complaint that patients have following an ozone cupping procedure is tenderness at the treatment site.

• There is Actual Science Behind Ozone Cupping Therapy – Pressure created by the cup’s vacuum stimulates the circulatory system, increasing blood flow and enabling more toxins to be flushed from the body. And because blood flow is increased, more blood is brought to the surface of the skin to initiate cellular repair. Finally, the pressure created by the cup also helps to separate the fascia underneath it, loosening connective tissues so that pain is reduced and better healing can occur.

Want to Learn More?

Ozone cupping can be a beneficial treatment for patients with skin lesions and infections and/or chronic muscular pain. Of course, the best way to know the treatment best suited to your own unique issue(s) is to seek the advice of a trusted medical professional. To schedule a consultation, please contact our team at The Institute of Natural Health today.