Cupping

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).

During the 20th century, new glass cups were developed. 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. 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.




==Method==
Instead of using a vacuum pump, a vacuum is created by air (heated by fire) in a glass cup placed flush against the patient's skin. As the air cools in the cup, a vacuum forms that pulls up on the skin, stimulating the acupressure effect.

The cups are usually roughly bell shaped with a capacity of about 4 fluid ounces. Most commonly, a total of from 8 to 12 cups are applied to the subject's back in two parallel 'vertical' columns, midway between the spine and each edge of the body, spaced about 4 inches on center within each column.


There are several ways of heating the air in the cup with fire:

1. One can swab rubbing alcohol (70% or 90%) into the bottom of a cup, then light it and place the cup immediately against the skin. By creating the seal the immediate loss of oxygen puts the fire out, preventing the person from being burned. The smaller the amount of alcohol, and the quicker the flame is extinguished by application of the cup, the better, so long as there is no risk of the cups falling off due to lack of a proper seal.

2. One can hold the cup inverted over a flame (e.g. a lit candle), heating the air, then place the cup immediately against the skin. Care must be taken not to heat the glass itself. Even so, the person to whom the cup is applied will feel distinctly more heat than in the previous method.

3. One can ignite a flame with a small alcohol-soaked cotton wad resting on a small pad of leather or other insulating material that rests directly on the patient's skin, then place the cup immediately over the flame, putting out the fire. The quickness with which the flame is extinguished depends on the size and shape of the cup.

Methods 1 and 2 heat the glass to some extent and have a risk of burning the patient if not carefully executed. Method 3 risks the cotton falling off the insulating pad onto the patient's skin, and leaves the pad and cotton wadding inside the adhering cup which could be considered cumbersome.

Baby oil massaged onto the skin first causes a better seal to form, making it possible to use this therapy with less heating of the cup. It is often possible to slide the adhered cup around on the skin, preserving the suction seal as it glides. Care must be taken not to move the cup over protruding moles, skin tags, scabs, etc.

The longer a cup is left on, the more of a circular mark (like a hickey) is created. The skin pores are more open, and the patient may have a feeling like sunburn. An application of about 20 minutes is average, for the back; however this varies with the individual. In no case should the cups be left in place if the subject reports noticeable discomfort.

Cupping has never been shown to be effective in a clinical trial. It can leave temporary unsightly marks on the skin and there is also a small risk of burns. Persons who claim this therapy to be beneficial report that its effect is a long lasting feeling of relaxation and invigoration. It is possible that whatever relief is obtained by this procedure is derived from the same principles that are employed in [[shiatsu]] massage, where instead of the outward sucking of the cups, strong inward pressure is directed at the muscles of the [[dorsal]] ribcage and abdomen.
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.
Respiratory Diseases

· For chronic bronchitis and asthma, one can apply cupping at the following points: dingchuan, dazhui (GV-14), shenzhu (GV-12), geshu (BL-17), xinshu (BL-15), jueyinshu (BL-14), feishu (BL-13), fengmen (BL-12), dashu (BL-11), tiantu (CV-22), shanzhong (CV-17), huagai (CV-20), and zhongfu (LU-1). [see: Acupuncture treatment of asthma for more information about several of these treatment sites].

· For pediatric bronchitis: blood letting followed by cupping at dazhui (GV-14).

· For pediatric acute bronchitis: feishu (BL-13), shenchang (KI-25), lingxu (KI-24).

Digestive Diseases

· For dysentery, early morning diarrhea, and acute and chronic gastritis, perform cupping in the following areas: around the navel; at the bladder meridian shu points; or these stomach meridian points: burong (ST-19), guanmen (ST-22), huaroumen (ST-24), tianshu (ST-25).

· Pediatric indigestion: dachangshu (BL-25).

Pain Syndromes

· Shoulder blade: jianwaishu (SI-14) and tianzhong (SI-11).

· Loins: shenshu (BL-23), qihaishu (BL-24), guanyuanshu (BL-26).

· Head: taiyang and yintang for refractory headaches and migraines; dazhui (GV-14) and baihui (GV-20) for parietal and occipital headaches; for trigeminal neuralgia: qihu (ST-13), fengchi (GB-20), sizhukong (TB-23), jiache (ST-6); for toothache: dashu (BL-11), with acupuncture, massage, and cupping at yifeng (TB-17), jiache (ST-6), xiaguan (ST-7), and hegu (LI-4).

· Soft tissue injury: treat local pressure pain points and area of swelling; use plum blossom needling followed by cupping; additionally or alternatively use points above or below the site of injury along the channels that pass through the injury.

Gynecological Disorders

· Infertility and irregular menstruation: shenshu (BL-23) with movement of cup downward (treat with acupuncture first, then do cupping).

· Leukorrhea: yaoyan (extra point under the 3rd lumbar vertebra) and around baliao (BL-31 through BL-34).

· Uterine cramps: needle zusanli (ST-36) and guanyuan (CV-4) and do cupping at guanyuan (CV-4).

Miscellaneous

· Common cold: dazhui (GV-14).

· Insomnia: xinshu (BL-15), geshu (BL-17), shenshu (BL-23).

· Facial paralysis: needling and cupping dazhui (GV-14), along with needling local facial points.

RECENT RESEARCH:

The following protocols were reported to provide good results in individual clinical research reports:

a. Head pain (2): headache, toothache, sore throat, redness and soreness of the eyes, treated with blood letting followed by cupping. Treatment is applied to dazhui (GV-14) and dingchuan.

b. Frozen shoulder (3): after acupuncture at jianyu (LI-15) and jianliao (TB-14) to get propagated qi reaction, use pricking of ashi points followed by cupping over the bleeding area for 10–15 minutes. Ten treatments is a course of therapy.

c. Acute trigeminal neuralgia treating with blood letting followed by cupping (4): treatment is applied to dazhui (GV-14) and feishu (BL-13).

d. Acne (10): treatment is to use bloodletting followed by cupping at feishu (BL-13) and geshu (BL-17) on one day, then xinshu (BL-15) and ganshu (BL-18) the next day, alternating treatments for a total of eight days.

e. Urticaria (11): perform cupping at shenque (CV-8) three times consecutively for ten minutes each time. This is done for three days, followed by one day rest, and another three days as needed.

f. Acute diseases (13): fever and headache due to infection, acute conjunctivitis, lumbar sprain; perform blood letting at dazhui (GV-14), and then cupping (which promotes further bleeding).

TREATMENT SUMMARY

Cupping therapies often follow the point selection pattern that is used for standard acupuncture therapy, with somewhat greater emphasis on the use of back points (due to the ease of performing this technique there). In particular, most practitioners rely on using back shu points (bladder meridian) and dazhui (GV-14). Cupping is frequently applied after treatment by acupuncture, blood letting, or plum blossom treatment.

REFERENCES

1. Cui Jin and Zhang Guangqi, A survey of thirty years’ clinical application of cupping, Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 1989; 9(3): 151–154.

2. Wu Jiashu, Observation of analgesic effect of acupuncturing dazhui point, Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 1989; 9(4): 240–242.

3. Ju Huadong, 30 cases of frozen shoulder treated by needling and cupping, International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture 1998; 9(3): 327–328.

4. Zhang Zhilong, Observation on therapeutic effects of blood-letting puncture with cupping in acute trigeminal neuralgia, Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 1997; 17(4): 272–274.

5. Cheng Xinnong, Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion, 1987 Foreign Languages Press, Beijing.

6. State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Advanced Textbook on Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology, volume IV, 1997 New World Press, Beijing.

7. O’Conner J and Bensky D (translators), Acupuncture: A Comprehensive Text, 1981 Eastland Press, Seattle, WA.

8. Zhang Ruifu, Wu Xiufen, and Nissi Wang (compilers), Illustrated Dictionary of Chinese Acupuncture, 1986, Sheep’s Publications, Hong Kong.

9. Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, An Outline of Chinese Acupuncture, 1975 Foreign Languages Press, Beijing.

10. Chen Decheng, Jiang Nawei, and Cong Xin, 47 cases of acne treated by prick-bloodletting plus cupping, Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 1993; 13(3): 185–186.

11. Wang Huaiping, Treatment of urticaria with cupping, Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 1993; 13(2): 105.

12. Li Jiang, A miraculous spinal pinching therapy, Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 1996; 16(3): 228–229.

13. Yin Ying, Blood-letting at a single point for treatment of acute diseases, Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 1997; 17(3): 214–216.

Wax Play

Here are a few things to keep in mind about wax play.

Basic Safety:
Make sure you keep your candles and/or crock pot on a
level, stable surface. Keep ice, cold towels and a bowl of water
nearby.
Make sure you have a fire extinguisher handy.
Preparation:
Oiling their skin before waxing someone makes removal
easier later. Massage oils seem to stay cooler than baby oil which
gets hot under wax. Be very careful about lingerie, as some items will
melt or burn, sticking to the skin and causing serious burns. Actually
anything with nylon, PVC, etc. Can be a problem... Of course having
your partner naked solves this problem.
Types of Candles/Wax:
Use plain cheap white candles, the usual rule being "the cheaper the safer." This comes from the fact that stearine and paraffin candles cost less than beeswax ones. Paraffin melts at about 133 degrees Fahrenheit while beeswax melts at 148 degrees.
Obviously the cooler temperature provides a measure of safety.
Candles with scents added, or those with dark colors (particularly metallics), are often made of beeswax and have an even higher melting point than plain beeswax does. Burning someone more severely than you intend to is much easier when you use these. Some things used to color candles are toxic and can cause blood poisoning. If you do want to play with colors see "crock pots" below.
Crock pots and/or fondue pots:
These are great for melting large quantities of wax all at once. The ones with temperature control knobs and dials are ideal (but do check that their controls are accurate).
Usually the lowest setting is all you'll need. Grocery stores and hardware stores in your area may carry bulk wax, if not then a craft store should have it. Once you have a nice pot of melted wax you can work on getting the colors you want by adding some melted Crayola crayons to the mix (these are non-toxic). Be aware that some darker colors may stain the skin for a few days. Also remember that pouring or
brushing a lot of wax on someone all at once is more intense than dripping it on and that the sensation will take longer to subside (takes longer to cool).

Play Hints:
Temperature can be varied based on the height from which you drip, drop or pour the wax. (Check temperature by dropping some on yourself, back of hand and inner forearm). Ice cubes can be used to confuse your (blindfolded) partner, giving them cold when they expect heat (although actually they may find it hard to distinguish between the two).Ice can also help lift the wax of the skin later. Other removal tool ideas include using ice scrapers, fingernails and knives. Areas with hair may require a (flea) comb or even a razor. You can also whip, paddle, spank or flog the wax off, but remember that the skin under the wax may be very sensitive.

Clean Up Hints:
Drop cloths are a good thing. Disposable ones make things easy, but if you have an old plastic coated shower curtain liner these work pretty well too. Remember that if you get wax on clothing or cloth drop cloths you'll need to remove as much as you can before trying to clean them. Wax will clog your drains and your washing machine (household appliances can't consent so try not to abuse them). An iron and some wax paper, brown paper bag or newspaper can be used to remove wax from carpets (though stains from colored wax may remain).

Extra Tips:
Here are a couple of things I like that you may want to try.
While some people use brushes to apply wax from their crock pot, one thing I like to do is to apply the wax with my own hands. If you can stand the heat, then coating your hands with melted wax and touching, stroking, gripping your partner's flesh with them creates some interesting sensations...For both of you. Another "trick" to play is combining a _short_ Saran warp mummification session with the
waxing. Doing this at the end of a long waxing will cause your partner's
body temperature to rise and it will make them sweat profusely. If you began by oiling their skin before the waxing then this will make the wax just about fall off them when you unwrap them.

Mummification

Mummification is a specialized form of bondage and sensory deprivation which involves wrapping the subject in some material or combination of materials. Mummification can be either quite severe or relatively gentle and comfortable, depending on the materials and techniques used. Regardless of severity, it tends to be one of the more involved "scenes," as a full body wrap takes quite a long time to accomplish. But for those who enjoy it, it's definitely worth the time and effort!
Mummification can be performed many ways, but the principle is the same. Instead of plastic wrap, you can use cloth or latex bandages or even leather strips, or even pieces of cloth secured with duct tape or other tapes. You can also get something of the same effect by using cleavages and hoods. But since anyone can
obtain plastic wrap or pallet wrap inexpensively, I will describe that technique here.
Duct tape is convenient in some circumstances and is readily available in clear or silver. However, be careful about applying it to bare skin: ripping it off will remove hairs and possibly even skin and can be painful, and irritation may result from contact with the adhesive. Go easy, or apply it over a barrier material such as vet wrap or pallet wrap. Note: A masochist's bottom might enjoy the hair or skin removal, as an added element to the scene...
You'll want to have plenty of wrap available, because it takes more than you might think. It works out to somewhere around 75-100m (yards), which is three or four regular sized rolls of wrap. Placing a blindfold first will ensure complete darkness under the wrap, and will prevent the eyes from opening. If you don't have a blindfold, place a few cotton balls on top of each closed eye, and secure with a little medical tape if you wish.
The general idea is simple: you're going to make a mummy, rather like what you remember from those old black-and-white horror movies. This is done by wrapping material around the submissively body. How you go about it will depend on your goals. For a gentle, comfortable wrap, you could use elastic bandages. If you want this to be more about bondage and helplessness, use duct tape over pallet wrap, wrapping the legs together and the arms against the body. For sensory deprivation, wrap each limb separately before doing an over-wrap... And you might consider inserting foam ear plugs before you wrap the head .
Remember throughout the wrapping, that absolute comfort is important in creating the headspace which is required to maximize the experience. If you are looking for a sexually oriented adventure this probably won't do it for you! As part of a scene, however, it can be extremely effective, so don't rule it out until you've tried it. A bottoms headspace is not quite the same after being released from a good mummification as it was going in, and a good top will use this fact to his or her advantage -- and of course to create an intense experience for the bottom.
Mummification Safety
Fortunately, mummification is a relatively safe "sport" as long as you use common sense. There are a few subtle things of which you need to be aware, however...
Communicate! - Mummification can be intense and a bit frightening to someone who's never experienced it. Make Sure yoursubmissive partner is reasonably comfortable with the idea, and that there are no claustrophobia issues. Check with your subject as you're wrapping, to make sure there aren't any uncomfortable spots and you aren't building up too much pressure anywhere.
Keep Bandage Scissors Handy - You never know when someone might have a panic attack, cramp, or some other unexpected problem that demands quick release. Bandage scissors (safety scissors, EMT shears) have one blunt end that slips under the wrap material and reduces the chance of cutting the submissive. These are really handy to have around, and are inexpensive enough that you should have a pair anyway, for other scenes. They can be purchased at many drug stores and all medical supply houses. Make sure you know where yours are before you begin to wrap.
Don't Get Carried Away - You probably need to wrap more lightly than you think. A little bit of tension isn't bad, but when it's over the entire body, it adds up... Especially with multiple layers. Plus, cramps can come on without warning if you over do it. You can of course wrap very tightly and turn mummification into a "torture" scene -- and some submissive love that. But make sure that's what they want, and be prepared for the scene to be a short one. If you want to admire your work for a while -- and let your mummy "float away" in bondage -- then take it easy on how much and how tightly you wrap.
Don't Obstruct Breathing - This seems obvious, but there are several points to note. Wrapping the entire head with non-breathable material like electrical tape -- leaving only nostril holes -- is an intense scene... But it's not good for someone with sinus problems if their nasal passages suddenly lock up! If you wrap the head tightly, your mummy may not be able to open his or her mouth even if you don't cover it, so be aware of how tightly you wrap under the jaw.
Take care not to restrict breathing when wrapping the chest and abdomen. If you're working with something like duct tape that doesn't stretch, make sure your subject can take a full, deep breath. If you're using plastic wrap, don't get carried away: Yes, plastic stretches... But multiple layers can exert as much pressure as a tightly laced corset. Remember: if you push too close to the edge, you may cause a panic attack.
Don't Play with Fire! - Plastic wrap, electrical tape, and so on are flammable petroleum-based products. Smoking, playing with candles, or using a Violet Wand near your mummy means a risk of fire. I think you can imagine what would happen if a plastic-wrapped submissive caught on fire. Given how badly things could go wrong... Is it worth the risk?
Support your Mummy - Once you have the arms and legs wrapped, your mummy will have no way to balance, and the slightest nudge can tip him or her over. This may be a mummy's greatest fear! It's vital that you support your mummy at all times and make sure there is no danger of falling.
Watch Out For Dehydration - This isn't an issue for all mummification scenes. But if you'll be keeping your mummy wrapped in a non-breathing material for many hours, you'll want to supply fluids to the submissive as time goes on (and, needless to say, feed the water carefully to avoid choking). It might not be a bad idea to have him or her drink a glass of water just before you start, as well. And common sense dictates you not try plastic-wrap mummification outside in 90° temperatures!
Extracting Your Partner
At some point, either you or your mummy is going to decide it's time to end the scene. But how? Unwrapping is the obvious answer for elastic bandages, but it takes far too long for plastic wrap, and is a virtual impossibility in the case of duct tape.
If you can't unwrap, it's time to grab those bandage scissors. Find an area where you can start, like between the legs or through large nipple holes. It's difficult to cut the skin with bandage scissors, but be careful not to pinch!
Once you have an opening large enough to get a finger through, start holding the wrap away from the skin as you cut. Plastic wrap tends to stick to the skin, and pulling it away by sliding your finger alongside where you're cutting will allow you to move faster with less risk.
. This gives your subject the opportunity to breath easily and speak with you (though don't expect much conversation if you've done a good job and sent your mummy to subspace). Be very careful around the face, especially the eyes and ears. I usually work two fingers under the wrap here, one on either side of the scissors, and cut very slowly and cautiously.
And don't forget there's hair under there...Youu don't want to give a bad haircut as a side-effect of the scene! If you cut from the neck up the side of the face and then across and back down, you can free the face and leave a "cap" or "hood" of sorts on the rest of the head. If you then proceed downward, cutting a slit towards the feet, you can eventually slip the wrap off the head without cutting too much near the hair.
Once you've slit the front, you can "peel" the entire wrap off. Go slowly; plastic wrap tends to stick to the skin; amazingly so, if the bottom has been encased for any length of time without perspiring excessively. Duct tape wraps will maintain much of their shape, and a first-time mummy often finds it interesting and amusing to look at the "cocoon" that's left behind.
An interesting side effect is what's call "lizard skin". Unless you're a perfectionist, the inner layer of a plastic wrap will be wrinkled. If your partner has been wrapped for a while, you'll find that he or she maintains much of the texture of the wrap! A freshly-extracted mummification subject may have skin that looks something like that of a lizard; it's a surprising and strangely attractive result that quickly fades. (Elastic bandage mummification, on the other hand, will leave the texture of the bandage as well as the spirals from the wrap.)
After-Care
You've just extracted someone from possibly non-breathing material...Someone you may have been keeping very much "fired up." That probably means they are going to get very cold, very quickly. Have a nice robe or some thick terrycloth towels handy. Don't count on being able to walk your partner quickly to a warmer part of the house; depending on how long and tightly one is wrapped -- or how deeply they went into subspace -- it may not be possible for them to move very far or very quickly for a while.
Especially for a first-timer, it can be unwise to try to continue any sort of role playing. Drop the Big Bad Dom/Top attitude. And be there for your partner. More often than not it will be greatly appreciated.
At this point you have a basic understanding of mummification. Now all you need is practice to hone your skills. Find a willing partner and give it a try!