Cupping therapy is slowly dying out in Goa. Today there are very few reminders of the old technique once said to be popular in the state. It is well known due to its use in Hollywood movies, but rarely does one witness an actual session being performed. Few benefits from cupping therapy are said to be relief from cold or muscular pain.
Cups used for the therapy are displayed at the Sao Tome museum in Varca. “When my mother caught a severe cold after getting wet in our kitchen garden, she would resort to this therapy,” said Thomas da Costa, owner of the museum in a ToI report.
How does it work?
“My dad uses cupping therapy when I suffer from a bad cold and back aches caused due to sinus. He uses a candle to heat the insides of the cups and quickly places it on the afflicted areas of the body. The skin gets pulled into the cups due to the vacuum created inside the cups. The cups are left on for a few minutes. Although this gives me a temporary relief it is very helpful and effective in a way,” said Staci D’ Souza, a student.
Olympic medalist Michael Phelps was spotted with round marks on his body. It is said to have been caused due to cupping therapy. Quite a few other athletes were spotted with similar marks as well. There have been many questions raised about the effectiveness of the therapy. Some have even likened it to a placebo, but in Goa a few old timers swear by its effectiveness.
“When I was young my grandmother used little salt pouches, which were tied and lit on fire at the top. These were placed on the chest of my dad, one at a time. Each time the cup was placed on these little pouches, the flame went off and the vacuum created relieved the pain. We thought it was heart pain, but it was chest pain due to gas,” recalls Jessyl Fernandez, a senior citizen.
Science behind cupping
Claiming that cupping is a form of acupuncture, popular Delhi acupuncturist Dr. Madhu Sudan Aggarwal said in a news report, “It’s an age-old way of treating sprains and muscular pains but it also provides relief in neuro and muscular problems to a certain extent and has some impact on fertility. Skin ailments also respond well to cupping.”
While the popularity of this 2000-year-old Chinese method continues to dip. A simple Google search for ‘cupping therapy in Goa’ will reveal that it is a hit in Goa-based spas. Due to this, cupping just might survive a little longer in Goa.
Image credits – www.remedialmassageservices.com.au
