Is cupping OK for children?

As more and more physiotherapy and health care shops open in modern society, we can see that people are increasingly trusting this traditional Chinese medicine. Cupping has been widely used in our daily life. It can prevent and treat many diseases, so it is deeply loved and recognized by people. So is it okay for children to have cupping? Regarding this question, please join me in learning about it in the following time.

"Many people believe that the darker the color of the cupping, the more serious the condition. In fact, this is a misunderstanding. Skin color cannot be used as a criterion for judging the condition. The reason why the skin turns purple after cupping is mainly due to ruptured capillaries. It may be red at first, and then turn purple after bleeding for a long time. The color of the skin is related to personal constitution. People with aging skin and thick cortex have lighter color, while children with tender skin can easily turn purple." Zhang Shiqing, deputy chief physician of the Massage Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said that children can be cupped because their skin is delicate. The cupping time should not be too long, otherwise the skin will easily blister.

He introduced several cupping methods suitable for children to parents:

Children with diarrhea: Pull up and down along the navel, or go down along the spine from the top to the buttocks.

Children who have caught a cold: You can apply the technique from top to bottom, two finger widths away from the sides of the back and spine.

It seems that cupping is also beneficial for children, especially for children with poor physical constitution. Cupping on the back can improve immunity, strengthen the spleen and stomach. "When cupping a child, you must control the time and remove the cup immediately. The cup should be left on until the skin turns red." Zhang Shiqing reminded people not to burn the child and to pay attention to fire prevention. Cupping is not suitable for children with blood diseases, skin swelling, sores or other skin injuries. Cupping is prohibited for children with thrombocytopenic purpura. If blisters occur due to long extraction time, use a sterilized needle to puncture the blisters, disinfect with iodine, and then bandage with gauze to avoid infection. Cupping only plays a preventive and auxiliary therapeutic role. If the child is sick, he should see a doctor in time.

I believe that through our understanding of the above, friends who have carefully read the above content will have their own unique insights and more standard answers to this question. Of course, what I want to tell you is that children’s skin is relatively delicate, and cupping can cause great irritation to the skin, so parents should consider this issue carefully.