The Hijama or Cupping Therapy is an ancient form of Alternative medicine that has long been practiced in Egypt, China, and few Middle Eastern countries. The cupping therapy work wonders to deal with problems ranging from body pain, skin lesions to inflammation. It also plays a significant role in improving the circulation and blood flow. But what is the Cupping Therapy and how does it work? In this article, we will discuss some important points related to the cupping therapy along with its merits.

What is a cupping therapy?
A Cupping Therapy is a non-invasive procedure that involves the use specially designed cups (made of silicone, bamboo, glass, or earthenware) placed on the target skin area to create a vacuum or a suction to help treat a particular health condition.

What happens in a cupping therapy?
The cupping therapy can be Dry or Wet

In both the types, before using the cup, the cupping therapist uses a flammable substance such as herbs or alcohol (placed inside the cup) and sets it on fire. With the fire slowly going off, the therapist carefully puts the hot cup in the target area of the skin in an inverted (upside down) position (for around 3 minutes). This is done to create a suction inside the cup triggering an expansion of the blood vessels. Alternatively, a rubber pump can also be used to create a suction.
In Wet cupping therapy, the steps involved in creating the first suction (generally a mild one) is identical to those used in Dry Cupping. However, in wet cupping, following the first suction, small incisions or scratches are made in the target skin area. During the second section, it is through these cuts that the elimination of the toxic or impure blood takes place.
Soon after the therapy, the cuts are well bandaged along with the application of medicated creams or lotions to ensure a fast healing sans any complications.
For better lubrication and movement of the cups, the therapist may apply a herbal or medicated oil to the skin.
Some people may also opt for Needle Cupping. As indicative of the name, needle cupping involves the use of Acupuncture needles (inserted into the skin over which the cups are then placed to carry out the suction and the subsequent therapy).
Merits of a cupping therapy

The cupping therapy is a nonsurgical therapy that can be used to treat many health complications such as high blood pressure, varicose veins, gynecological problems (including infertility), anemia, dermatological conditions (such as eczema and acne), fibromyalgia, migraines, arthritis, hemophilia, to name a few.
The cupping therapy ensures a better pain management.
It works wonders in the case of stress and anxiety.
The cupping therapy goes a long way to restore the balance between the three Doshas.
It comes with negligible side effects (light bruises, mild burns, or minor skin infections).

Cupping Therapy - Know How It Works!

Acupuncture is a kind of therapy that combines needles with pressure and pain points in order to delicately apply pressure for pain relief. This form of physical therapy is being increasingly recognised as an efficient method of treating pain in joints, muscles, bones and even for migraine pain. So let us find out more about Acupuncture and pain management.

    Chronic or Long Term Pain: There are many ailments that cause chronic or long term pain. These include back pain, neck pain, stiffness in the joints, osteoarthritis, headache and migraine, and pain in the shoulders. All this can be treated over a long period of time with the help of simulated acupuncture which uses pointed apparatus for activating better blood circulation for overall improvement in the pain that is being experienced in the area. The use of this apparatus helps in avoiding the harmful medication that can have adverse side effects.
    Menstrual Cramps: A fine needle method at the right points can help in bringing down the symptoms of the painful condition called dysmenorrhoea during menstrual cycles. With acupuncture, the acupuncturist can administer acupoint therapy to relieve menstrual cramps. This will help in moving the qi, or life force, in a better way so that the pain will stop. 
    Acute Pain: Over use of muscles, joints and repetitive, work related movements and strain can lead to acute pain. This includes wrist pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, back pain, lower back pain, neck pain and even leg pain. With acupuncture, the patient gets rid of the pain in close to twelve sittings.
    Pain due to Cancer Treatment: Cancer and its treatment can take a heavy toll on the body and lead to a series of complications which also includes pain. A clean needle procedure can be followed along with the chemotherapy and radiation or after it, so as to relieve the patient of the pain experienced. Also, it can be used to replace traditional chemotherapy and radiation. 
    Better Rest: When the needles or apparatus touch the pressure points and circulate the blood and life force, it actually creates a soothing effect and helps the patient sleep and get better rest. This is also a requirement for pain relief. It can bring better blood flow to the area and help in removing anxiety and stress related to pain so that there is better chance of getting rest. 

With the use of acupuncture, pain can be taken care of with the needles and various tools that come in various shapes. These tools and equipment can also use laser treatment along with the point focused treatment.

Acupuncture and Pain Management

A pain in the neck, both in the metaphorical and the literal sense of the term can be quite discomforting. If we look at it from a medical point of view, the pain in the neck could be a serious sign of something being amiss and so, keeping in mind the causes of such a pain is just so important!

Recognizing the Type of Neck Pain

A pain in the neck can manifest itself in a variety of ways. Also, it need not also follow the textbook definition of the term. As a matter of fact, tingling, tenderness or numbness can also be significant symptoms of neck pain. Another major symptom can be having difficulty while swallowing. This could be much more crucial than just a problem with the digestive system.

Many cases that doctors come across when a patient comes to consult about a pain in the neck are regarding an issue with the spinal cord. At in certain cases, it could be related to an issue with the muscles which are located in the area.

When a person has neck pain, he or she should think back and try to remember if he or she was in an incident where the neck could have possibly been the recipient of some sort of impact. This could be a possible explanation of the pain. Also, if there is a pain in the neck after an incident, it is better not to delay a visit to the doctor as the person is likely to be uncomfortable. The neglect is this condition can also lead to the problem getting progressively worse.

In some cases, a pain in the neck can even be congenital. A very good example of this is wry neck, or torticollis. When a pain in the neck is diagnosed by the doctor, figuring out what the likely cause is quite an important thing to do and should be the first thing which is done by him or her as the various ways to treat a pain in the neck vary according to the cause of it.

The problem of neck pain is very common as two third of the population suffers from it at some point in their lives. This does not mean that it needs to affect a person's quality of life. The right precautions and proper medication can make sure that his or her neck is not on the line!

Causes of Neck Pain and Diagnosis

Vaginismus is a condition characterized by significant pain in the vagina generally during sexual intercourse. This pain occurs on penetration due to the contraction of the vaginal muscles.

Causes

The exact cause of Vaginismus is not exactly known to the doctors. But some researchers suggests that the pain might result from severe anxiety or illogical fears before sex.

Vaginismus can be primary or secondary depending on the concerned woman s previous sexual experiences. Vaginismus can be linked to an earlier sexually painful experience, sexual trauma or psychological factors. In some cases, the pain tends to exist without any direct physical cause. The causes of the pain might vary from women to women and might occur in some cases with only one specific partner and not with others.

Sometimes the pain might stem from underlying infections or any other underlying complications.

The symptoms of Vaginismus are as follows:

Severe pain during intercourse.

Severe pain during insertion of tampons or during any medical check-ups.

The following treatments can be useful to treat Vaginismus:

If the pain arises due to anxiety or fear, counselling sessions can help you to a remedy.

If the pain arises whenever something penetrates the vaginal walls, progressive desensitization can be useful to treat the pain. The process aims to loosen the vaginal muscles so that you don t experience any pain during sexual intercourse.

Kegel exercises (at least 20 of them) can help in the initial stage to relax the vaginal muscles. After you exercise for a few days, you should try inserting one finger inside your vagina while doing the exercises. Try doing it gently and if it still hurts, try doing it with a lubricating jelly. This continuous procedure will help in the contraction of the vaginal muscles which eventually relax.

Vaginismus - Things You Should Be Aware of 

6 Bodily Pains You Must Never Ignore

Any pain in the body is an indication and demands attention. Some pains go away by themselves or by home treatment, while few need medical attention. 

Here are 6 types of pains which should never be ignored.

Chest Pain - Chest pain that doesn't go away and is accompanied by shortness of breath can prove to be fatal if not treated at the earliest. Do not wait for it to subside, nor should you try self medication. Consult the doctor immediately.
Abdominal Pain - While abdominal pain could be because of various smaller reasons, if it is unbearable, consult a doctor at the earliest. This pain could be because of ruptured appendix, stomach ulcer, problems in your pancreas or gallbladder or even intestinal blockages.
Severe Headache - Normally we tend to take headaches lightly, believing that all we need to do is pop a medicine or rest it out. However, if the pain is excruciating, consult the doctor as soon as possible.
Prolonged Backache - If you are experiencing pain in the back with tingling in your toes, this could be associated with your discs. Give it medical attention at the earliest, as it could turn fatal.
Lower Abdomen  - Appendicitis' indicator is sharp pain on the side. If you feel a sharp pain in your lower abdomen on the right side along with symptoms like nausea, vomiting, fever, shaking, constipation and diarrhea, reach out for medical assistance as soon as possible.
Leg Pain - Yet another pain one should not ignore is deep vein thrombosis which is blood clots in the legs? deep veins.

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6 Bodily Pains You Must Never Ever Ignore

Conventional medicine treats pain with the help of medications; by either blocking the transmission of pain signals in the body or by correcting the underlying problems caused by the pain in the first place. However, traditional and alternative forms of medicine such as acupuncture manage pain issues within the body through the means of redirecting disrupted energy flows. One of the very few forms of alternative treatments used in conjunction with conventional treatments, acupuncture is seen as a mercurial rise in popularity in the past few decades.


What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture dates back to ancient China, about 2500 years ago. It has been widely practiced there for a number of millennia, not only pain relief, but also for treating many ailments. Acupuncture isn t just considered a form of therapy, but a holistic form of medicine. Acupuncture works on the principle of the flow of energy within the body, also known as  Qi , in traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture strives to correct the disruptions in  Qi  that may cause pain by manipulating over 2000 of the specific pressure points within the body with the help of specially created needles.


Where is acupuncture effective?
Acupuncture is very effective in treating a host of ailments, especially in relieving the associated pain. Some of the areas where acupuncture has proven its effectiveness are:
1. Treating nausea and vomiting caused due to chemotherapy treatment for cancer patients
2.  Very useful in treating post-operative pain caused due to dental procedures
3.  Rehabilitating patients who have suffered strokes
4.  Fibromyalgia (musculo-skeletal pain with fatigue accompanied by sleep and memory issues) 
5.  Effective in combating withdrawal symptoms caused due to addiction
6.  Pain from menstrual cramps
7.  Tennis elbow
8.  Osteoarthritis (a type of arthritis caused due to the erosion of tissues present at the ends of one s bones)
9.  Pain of the lower vertebrae within the spinal column
10. Asthma


How does acupuncture work within the body?
According to modern medicine, the specific pressure points utilized by acupuncture within the body help in releasing chemicals that can block or at least reduce pain. It encourages the flow of chemicals from the brain, which act as nerve and pain blockers. It also helps stimulate the muscles and nerve endings, which can lessen inflammation and thus help in reducing pain.

Acupuncture - Why Should You Use it to Combat Pain?

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