Traditional Chinese Medicine
Cupping
During a cupping session, the therapist places a round cup directly on the skin; the cup is then pumped to create a suction. The cups are then left on the skin for a few minutes. The cups are clear, giving the therapist the ability to see the change on the skin and help determine when to take the cups off. With cupping; the suction from the cup encourages blood flow, increasing circulation and promoting healing and reduced pain.
Gua Sha
Gua Sha is used to remove blood stagnation that blocks the surface tissues impeding organ and immune function. It involves palpation stimulation where the skin is pressured by using strokes with a round edged instrument which then results in the appearance of red patches called “Sha”, that will fade in 2-3 days. As the body is scraped it pushes a build-up of fluid ahead of it, and after it passes, it leaves an indentation or vacuum behind which draws toxic fluid out to the surface of the skin from deep within the tissue. Gua Sha creates suction on the skin that pulls stagnant intercellular fluid to the surface, removing toxic debris, and replacing it with fresh oxygenated, nutrient rich fluid, which in turn accelerates regeneration and revitalizes the region where cancer cells may or already have manifested.
Moxibustion
Moxibustion, or also known as Moxa is a form of fire heat treatment that stimulates specific acupuncture points of the body. A small, cone-shaped amount of moxa is placed on top of an acupuncture point and burned on top of the skin. Direct moxibustion is a traditional technique considered to be very therapeutic.