Wet cupping or Chinese bloodletting, also known as phlebotomy in a Western medicine clinical setting, is a traditional medicine practice that actually predates acupuncture and has been widely used around the world through techniques such as scarring and the application of leeches to the body. Bloodletting today relies on hypodermic needles and lancets to practice venesection or the incision of a vein to allow blood to seep out. This is often combined with cupping and is known as wet cupping.

The idea behind bloodletting is to remove old stagnant blood and subsequent waste in that particular blood, as well as prevent blood stasis in general through the letting or movement of the blood via a miniscule incision in the skin or vein. The puncture can relieve pressure and circulatory stagnation, thereby promoting the return of new blood, normal circulation and life force back to the affected area. The physical and psychological benefits can be instant.

Evidence of bloodletting can be dated back to Ancient Egypt, with an over three thousand year history. It is only in recent times that modern medicine and its shift in understanding disease deemed the practice of bloodletting as ineffective and obsolete. However, bloodletting is still practised successfully around the world, with the Master Tung zones and Luo channel theory being particularly important in holistic treatment.

Posted by Jasmin on Jan 18, 2024