What alcohol is best for cupping?

In daily life, cupping is a common way of physical health care, and cupping requires alcohol, which comes in different concentrations. Generally, the alcohol concentration used for cupping needs to be higher. Since alcohol is used for disinfection, if the alcohol concentration is low, it is not only difficult to ignite, but also consumed faster. Therefore, it is better to use high-concentration alcohol for cupping.

What alcohol is best for cupping?

It is better to use alcohol with a higher concentration for cupping, and 95% alcohol is generally used for cupping.

The use of alcohol in cupping is to make it burn and consume the oxygen in the cup to create negative pressure, allowing the cup to adhere to the surface of the body. The two most common types of medical alcohol are 95% and 75%. 75% alcohol is used for disinfection. Although it can be ignited, its firepower is insufficient and the cupping force is not strong enough. 95% alcohol has sufficient firepower and the cupping is firm. The principle is that in containers of the same volume, 95% alcohol consumes oxygen faster than 75% alcohol and is more likely to form negative pressure.

Precautions for alcohol cupping

1. Squeeze the alcohol cotton ball dry before igniting it

Before cupping, you need to use pliers to clamp the cotton ball, dip it in alcohol and light it. Generally speaking, hospitals will choose 95% medical alcohol which ignites easily, but when cupping at home, it is better to choose 75% alcohol with lower fire power so as not to cause scalds or burns. For cupping beginners, it is best to make the cotton ball smaller and be sure to use medical hemostatic forceps with a "lock" to firmly grasp the burning alcohol cotton ball to prevent the cotton ball from accidentally falling and scalding the skin. In addition, after dipping the cotton ball in alcohol, you must squeeze out the excess alcohol, otherwise the alcohol will drip with the flame after it is ignited and cause burns.

2. The warming tongs should be inserted 2/3 into the jar.

When warming the cup, first light the alcohol cotton ball, then insert the pliers holding the alcohol cotton ball into the cup, shake it a few times, and then withdraw it, and quickly apply the cup to the area to be treated. When operating, you must move quickly to make the can be pulled tight and adsorbed effectively. In addition, the pliers should be inserted into 2/3 of the can to expel the air for the best effect. If the pliers are too short or too close to the mouth of the jar, it is easy to burn the edge of the jar or get alcohol on the mouth of the jar. If you apply the cup to the skin at this time, a circle of blisters will immediately form.

3. It is best to leave the can for 3 to 5 minutes

It is not advisable to leave the cup in for too long, generally 3 to 5 minutes is most appropriate. If the cupping time is too long, the skin will easily blister and bleed. Especially for diabetic patients, blisters are difficult to eliminate and may leave scars, and may even cause infection, so they should be more careful. In addition, the number of cupping treatments can vary from person to person, as long as you feel comfortable.

Alcohol cupping method

1. Use a cotton ball soaked in 75% alcohol to wipe the body surface that needs cupping. Apply some lubricating medicine or liquid on the surface of the skin where cupping is required. Different lubricating drugs will be used depending on the desired therapeutic effect. The material used this time is comfrey oil, which has the effect of activating blood circulation.

2. Light a cotton ball soaked in 95% alcohol and put it into the glass jar. Take it out instantly, attach the cupping jar to the body surface, hold the jar in your hand, and pull it back and forth along the meridians. If there is any problem with your body after cupping, there will be patches of sha marks left on the cupping area. If there is no problem, it will generally be just cupping marks that will fade away quickly.