Thursday, July 10, 2008
Ba huo guan 拔火罐
Cupping.
I've been compiling a list of crazy things I need to try before leaving China. Things like eating a durian fruit (check), trying stinky tofu (done and done) and other things that don't involve eating foul smelling food. Things like acupuncture (yet to be crossed off the list) and ba huo guan, another form of traditional Chinese medicine. For those not turned on to the wonders of TCM, fire cupping basically involves using a small flame to create a vacuum inside of a circular glass cup that is then attached to the skin. The vacuum causes the skin to be sucked up into the cup, along with all the toxins and bad chi in your body. Or so the acupressure theory goes at least.
I first became aware of cupping our first summer in Shanghai when we made a trip to the local water park and spotted tons (dozens?) of people with the characteristic round bruises down both sides of the spine. At first I thought it must be one of those famous Chinese torture treatments we all grow up fearing - like bamboo shoots under the fingernails or Jackie Chan movie marathons on TNT.
In fact, many Chinese swear by cupping, especially to help fight off a cold. Feeling the telltale gan mao tingle in the back of my throat this week, I couldn't resist the opportunity to give it a try myself. First, I was a bit disappointed to find that most places now use a pump instead of the traditional small fire to create the vacuum. Something about being less "dangerous". Honestly the element of danger was half the appeal for me, but after a few minutes of having all 17 of those puppies sucking my backside as tight as a drum, I quickly dismissed the idea that this was somehow less adventurous.
The results? Besides the obvious:
I must say my cold felt a bit better the next day and I woke up invigorated. Maybe more to do with the hour long preparatory oil massage than the 15 minutes of cupping, but who am I to argue with thousands of years of TCM. All in all, much better than your standard Guantánamo waterboarding session.
UPDATE: Day 2 the welts are receding a bit but holding on pretty strong.
I've been compiling a list of crazy things I need to try before leaving China. Things like eating a durian fruit (check), trying stinky tofu (done and done) and other things that don't involve eating foul smelling food. Things like acupuncture (yet to be crossed off the list) and ba huo guan, another form of traditional Chinese medicine. For those not turned on to the wonders of TCM, fire cupping basically involves using a small flame to create a vacuum inside of a circular glass cup that is then attached to the skin. The vacuum causes the skin to be sucked up into the cup, along with all the toxins and bad chi in your body. Or so the acupressure theory goes at least.
I first became aware of cupping our first summer in Shanghai when we made a trip to the local water park and spotted tons (dozens?) of people with the characteristic round bruises down both sides of the spine. At first I thought it must be one of those famous Chinese torture treatments we all grow up fearing - like bamboo shoots under the fingernails or Jackie Chan movie marathons on TNT.
In fact, many Chinese swear by cupping, especially to help fight off a cold. Feeling the telltale gan mao tingle in the back of my throat this week, I couldn't resist the opportunity to give it a try myself. First, I was a bit disappointed to find that most places now use a pump instead of the traditional small fire to create the vacuum. Something about being less "dangerous". Honestly the element of danger was half the appeal for me, but after a few minutes of having all 17 of those puppies sucking my backside as tight as a drum, I quickly dismissed the idea that this was somehow less adventurous.
The results? Besides the obvious:
I must say my cold felt a bit better the next day and I woke up invigorated. Maybe more to do with the hour long preparatory oil massage than the 15 minutes of cupping, but who am I to argue with thousands of years of TCM. All in all, much better than your standard Guantánamo waterboarding session.
UPDATE: Day 2 the welts are receding a bit but holding on pretty strong.
# posted by tim @ 1:34 PM 
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