Ancient "Cupping" Technique A Natural Pain Reliever

An ancient Chinese technique called "cupping" apparently brings fast, natural pain relief. I just discovered this on the web and thought I would share it. In fact, I'm going to try this myself.

Most people in the Western world are not familiar with the techniques of Chinese medicine. We do know a lot now about acupuncture and acupressure, but "cupping" is still an unknown. Cupping is a technique in which glass cups are heated from the inside with fire to create a vacuum. They cups are then placed on the area of the body where chronic pain is felt.
The suction created pulls at the skin and "sucks out" the body's toxins. While this might sound uncomfortable, those who do it say it actually relieves much of the pain caused by blood congestion, energy or mucus and swelling.
"The Herbs Of Life" author Lesley Tierra says cupping improves circulation, draws out toxins and even opens the lungs to facilitate better breathing. (I need this too!)
In Chinese philosophy, "cupping" is believed to draw out cold, wind and damp, thus making it effective for a wide range of ailments, including edema, swelling, asthma, bronchitis, aches and pains, arthritis, abdominal pain, stomach ache, indigestion, headaches, back pain, painful menstruation and coughs.
This sounds pretty simple to me. The cup is placed on the skin over the painful area or overan acupuncture point at the afflicted area. Since I have fibromyalgia (amongst other things), I could just place the cup right over the tender points. You just leave the cup in place for 5 to 15 minutes. You will see round red bruises where the cup was placed, but hey! If the pain is reduced or eliminated, it's worth it. I could even put it on my chest to ease congestion. And you've got to admit, it sure is the right price!
The few people who know about and use this technique say it is a highly effective treatment. Apparently, there is a simple vacuum-pump cupping device that you can get as well. Hmmm… I'll have to look into that. Or if you can think of a better but similar idea, I'd sure like to hear about it.
There are restrictions to "cupping" that should also be noted. It should not be done on the abdomen or lower back of pregnant women, on allergic skin conditions or ulcerated sores, or during a high fever, convulsions or cramps. It is also not effective on areas of the body where there is a lot of hair or irregular angles. It is also suggested that "cupping" be done in conjunction with acupuncture and Chinese herbs. However, I think I'll just try this technique first and see how it works.