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Traditional names can blur the line between gentle suction and skin-breaking procedures. Here is how to tell them apart and what to ask.

Articles about Chinese medicine sometimes lump cupping, bloodletting and acupuncture into a single list, as though they were variations on a theme. In practice they involve very different things happening to your body, and those differences matter.

Suction versus breaking the skin

Dry cupping uses suction on skin that remains intact. Bloodletting, on the other hand, involves deliberately breaking the skin, which brings different risks and needs a different aftercare discussion. Appearing in the same paragraph of an article does not make two procedures equivalent.

What to raise before anything invasive

Ask Dr Christine Shen, Acupuncturist, which technique is being proposed and why it fits the goal you have agreed together. Before any procedure that breaks the skin is considered, mention bleeding disorders, medicines that thin the blood or affect clotting, and any skin conditions. A description of historical use, or a general recommendation from any clinic, should never take the place of a clear account of what will actually be done.

Deciding how to judge the session

Before your appointment, choose an everyday task or symptom that you would like to revisit at follow-up, such as carrying shopping or sleeping on one side. Afterwards, include how comfortable the session felt and how your skin healed. Any visible mark is just one detail. Whether to continue should depend on your original reason for seeking care, how you responded and what other choices are available.

Taking your time

You are under no obligation to agree to any procedure on the day it is first mentioned. Asking for more information, or for time to think, is entirely reasonable.

Cupping at Lane Cove

The Lane Cove clinic is where Rainbow Medicine offers cupping for people on the North Shore. If you take any blood-thinning medicine, bring its name and dose to your consultation. This article is intended as general information only and is not a recommendation for any procedure.