Massage & Bodywork

JULY | AUGUST 2016

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58 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k j u l y / a u g u s t 2 0 1 6 THREE CASES I have had a variety of experiences incorporating cupping into my therapeutic sessions. Here, I note three cases that indicate how I interpreted my clients' cupping results. CASE 1 is a male client in his mid- 30s. He reports having back pain, due perhaps to his posture at work. Cups are applied on his posterior lower back, their suction focused on the bladder meridian (the quadratus lumborum area). The darker red color of the lower right posterior skin marking shows a high level of excess yang energy in his lower back. The marking is on dachangshu (BL25), indicating that his lower back pain is due to congestion in the large intestine, as well as muscular adhesion in the lower back. CASE 2 is a female client in her late 60s. She reports having tightness in her back, due perhaps to her sleeping position. Cups are applied on her posterior upper back, inferior to the scapulae, their suction focused on the bladder meridian and the erector spinae group. The darker red color of both posterior superior skin markings show a high level of excess yang energy in her upper back. The markings are on jueyinshu (BL14), indicating that the back pain is due to congestion in the chest, as well as muscular adhesion in the upper back. CASE 3 is a female client in her mid- 40s. She reports feeling uncomfortable, due to stomach bloating. A single cup is applied on her anterior lower abdomen (what TCM identifies as the dantian area) where gas bubbles are present; its suction is focused on the inferior segment of the ren meridian. After the cup is removed, there is no change of skin color or texture, indicating that the bloating is due to excess yin energy. The gas bubbles are released through guanyuan (CV4), a key pressure point on the ren meridian.

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