Cupping Therapy

Over the years I have employed Cupping therapy in conjunction with acupuncture and Moxibustion, and in many cases quite successfully, to treat the infertility problems. The whole experience can take an excessive toll on the patient’s mental, emotional and physical states, often involving and testing the entire relationship between partners undergoing any form of assisted conception therapy. Failure to have children after 2-3 years, despite both partners being healthy is sufficient to be considered infertile. According to the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) aetiology, there are five pathological conditions that can cause infertility in women. 1) Kidney Deficiency; a) Kidney Yang deficiency: Clinical manifestations; infertility, feeling tired, especially as the day progresses, long-term back pains, prolonged menstrual cycle with scanty periods with light-coloured discharge or amenorrhoea, dizziness, weakness of the legs, lack of sexual desire, loose stool, a pale tongue with white coating, generally feeling cold and colourless facial features. However, not all the symptoms are expected to be present at the same time. b) Kidney Yin deficiency: Clinical manifestations; infertility, short menstrual cycle with scanty, clear-red flow, dizziness, palpitation, insomnia, irritability, dry mouth or vagina, heat sensation in the palms, sloes and chest and a red tongue with little coating. 2) Liver Qi Stagnation: Clinical manifestations; Infertility, mental depression, aggressive or short tempered, early or late (irregular) periods, dark-colour scanty periods usually with clots, dysmenorrhoea, sighing and premenstrual distention and tender breasts, a normal or dark-red tongue body with thin, white coating. 3) Phlegm-Dampness: Clinical manifestations; infertility, obese constitution, long history of phlegm condition, feeling tired with heaviness, prolonged menstrual cycle, sticky vaginal discharge, pale complexion, dizziness, nausea and a pale/white tongue body with sticky coating. 4) Blood Stagnation: Symptoms include; infertility, dysmenorrhoea accompanied with cramps, prolonged bleeding with scanty and dark flow with clots, a dark-purplish tongue body sometimes accompanied with dark-red spots. 5) Cold Uterus:  Symptoms include; infertility, scanty periods with prolonged discharge and dark clots, cold lower abdomen with pain that is relieved by hot bottle application and a pale/white tongue body with no coating.

Treatment Principle: As well as addressing the above differentiations, one must not underestimate and overlook the importance of the Ren and the Chong Channels, the two extraordinary channels responsible for the health of the uterus which may affect the outcome of the treatment. Together, with Kidney Qi, the Ren and the Chong Channels are responsible for nourishing the uterus and assisting the fertility treatment by harmonising both Channels. See the illustrations below.

Cupping Treatment:

1-Kidney Deficiency

Treatment Principle: Tonify the Kidney Qi and Regulate the Ren and the Chong channels.

2-Liver Qi Stagnation

Treatment Principle: Disperse Liver Qi Stagnation and Tonify the Kidney Qi and Regulate the Ren and the Chong channels.

3-Phlegm-Damp

Treatment Principle: Remove Phlegm-Damp and Tonify the Kidney Qi and regulate the Ren and the Chong channels.

4-Blood Stagnation

Treatment Principle: Remove Blood Stagnation and Tonify the Kidney Qi and regulate the Ren and the Chong channels.

5-Cold Uterus

Treatment Principle: Warm the Uterus and Tonify the Kidney Qi and Regulate the Ren and the Chong channels.

NB: Moxibustion application with a moxa stick or a moxa box is extremely effective and beneficial when dealing with any form of Cold pathological condition. I would therefore urge the practitioners not to overlook the importance of warming and healing properties of the Moxibustion treatment.