Cupping involves the placement of glass cups onto the surface of the skin. I utilize glass fire cupping as a therapeutic technique in my clinic. We place glass cups onto the skin using fire to create suction. The fire helps create a vacuum that pulls the skin up into the glass cups. The tension at the surface of the skin is intentionally used to create bruising. The relatively minor damage to the small blood vessels in the superficial tissues forces those vessels to repair themselves. This floods the area tissues with fresh, oxygenated blood. Cupping enhances blood flow to a specific area of the body where tissues were tight, painful, tense &/or ropey and most often helps alleviate that pain or discomfort. Every patient is unique and we take great care to assess whether cupping therapy is appropriate on an individual basis.