Fire cupping is a technique used by acupuncturists to break up muscle tightness, and has also been known to be beneficial in the treatment of flu and colds. Glass cups are placed on an affected area and either left in place or moved along the channel or muscle group. The vacuum or suction is created by momentarily heating up the air in the cup with fire.
In cases of ‘sliding cupping’ where the cups are moved along a channel (I prefer this one) – oil is applied to the skin first and the movement creates a deep massage effect.
If there is tightness in the muscles below or stagnation of some sort, the area will turn red or purple underneath the cups. These blemishes will disappear within 2-4 days and are not painful, although they may look unsightly.
Please read my article on gua sha for further information as both techniques work on the same principle in theory.