Traditional Chinese Medicine Cupping Therapy: A Practical Guide

"I'm self taught when it comes to "cupping". This book (the only one available!) has filled in the blanks with valuable information. Not only do I have a better understanding of the meridians, but the history of cupping and how it has evolved and become more availabe is fascinating.
A "must get" if you are interesting in incorporating this technique into your existing bodywork profession or even for personal use."
~ Written on 2007-01-10

"This book is very straight forward and easy to use if you have a decent understanding of TCM and point locations. It's a great resource for anyone who wants to add cupping to their practice."
~ Written on 2006-07-31

"This book gives very good guidelines and clear, precise instructions that will broaden the scope of treatment of any inquisitive TCM practitioner and/or student. Ilkay Chirali does an excellent job in presenting interesting applications of the cups, many of which will be totally new for a lot of people.

The book contains many clear pictures of cups, their different forms of application (ten methods of cupping, wow!), and also pictures that can help the practitioner explain to the patient the effects of the treatment. The section on treatment of specific conditions is very illustrative, and will be welcome by practitioners who are not afraid to try new things.

There are, however, a couple of weak spots. I acknowledge the effort of Mr. Chirali in researching and providing information on the background of cupping, but I would have liked to see more of that from the Chinese side. Most of the information in the first chapter dwells on cupping in the west. This material, although interesting, may not entirely be within the scope of the book (not at such length, anyway, in my opinion), and there are no quotes from Chinese books and only very little historical information on the development of cupping in the East. I would also have liked the author to discuss at length the Chinese theories on the workings of the cups, as well as to tie it in with the theories of chinese physiology TCM students are more familiar with.

There is a section on integrating cupping with other therapies, such as reflexology, aromatherapy, chiropractic, and so on. Although I agree that the benefits of cupping can very easily be extended to these other modalities of treatment, it also falls outside of the scope of a book entitled "Traditional Chinese Medicine Cupping Therapy". This information might well broaden the potential readership of the book in general, but to the acupuncture student (such as myself) these pages are not exactly useful.

It shines through the text that the author knows and loves his subject, with which he has had contact since he was very young. It is, all in all, a great, practical book, and I hope many practitioners will read it and add its contents to their treatment repertoires."
~ Written on 2001-07-29

"Cupping Therapy-Traditional Chinese Medicine Unique Reference for practitioners and students of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Welcome second print! 'First print' sold-out under 11 months of the first publication! I like to thank everyone, my Publisher (Churchill Livingstone-Harcourt Brace co Ltd), marketing staff, Agents, distributors and especially to those practitioners and students who purchased the book and found it be helpful in their practice. Editorial Roca is preparing Portuguese language edition, and the expected publication date is November 2001.

Dear reader, Chinese Medicine like any other medicine is an accumulation of tried and tested theories, experiments, remedies and treatment methods put together to help the unwell. Cupping Therapy is only one of the techniques amongst hundreds if not thousands offered today by the complementary/alternative practitioner. This book reflects my own research, experience and knowledge that I have gained over the past 15 years both as a practitioner and as a teacher of cupping therapy. `Cupping Therapy -Traditional Chinese Medicine' title, is designed to assist both the students and the practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine and various other tactile therapists such as Massage, Aromatherapy, Chiropractic, Osteopathy, Kinesiology, Alexander Technique, Shiatsu, Reflexology, Polarity and Physiotherapy. I am privileged to be the first TCM practitioner/teacher to put together this unique and comprehensive Cupping Therapy manual. My ultimate aim is to help colleges and schools to include cupping therapy as part of their treatment programme or educational syllabus. While encouraging and promoting the practical use in clinics by way of structured seminars and workshops around the world. I would also like to hear your experiences and comments regarding cupping therapy, particularly on the section 1/7 Ten methods of Cupping. Your comments and criticism will only serve to enlighten me further on this ancient healing technique. Please feel free to get in touch with your enquiries using the cupping help line. Cupping Therapy Helpline E-mail: cuppinghelp@ilkaychirali.co.uk

With my best wishes Ilkay Zihni Chirali (Author) 7/July/2000 Cuppinghelp@ilkaychirali.co.uk"
~ Written on 2000-07-11

"More people should know about this therapy - maybe this book will help. My wife's family used it in Vietnam, I experienced it during acupuncture treatment, and it turns out my father's nanny used it in Paris in the 30's! Mr. Chiraldi's 'History Of Cupping' section reveals its tradition reaching back to ancient Egypt or beyond and through all cultures.

This book is interesting, clearly written, authoritative, and would make a good reference for the professional and the well-informed patient."
~ Written on 1999-06-26