Tips for Tafinlar and Mekinist - Cupping

Cupping has helped tremendously with rash pain.

WHAT IS CUPPING?

Cupping is an ancient form of medical therapy where you use medical cups to suction the skin. It increases blood flow in that area, and as a result, calls attention to it and speeds up healing. 

I learned this technique from a well known hospital. It's a studied and well recognized treatment for things like pain, inflammation and range of motion.

IS IT SAFE? 

I am not a medical professional but it's my understanding that its relatively safe. It just should not be used directly on tumor areas. And should not be used f you have liver, heart or kidney failure, or if you have a bleeding disorder.  

WHAT DO YOU USE IT FOR? 

I use it mostly for pain and on my panniculitis rash. It can be an absolute miracle worker. 

WHAT KIND OF CUPS DO I USE?

There are a few types of cups. Glass, plastic, and silicone. They may use fire for suction or just lotion. 

We use the two kinds that were used on us at the hospital- plastic and silicone. See photos. 

They are easy to purchase online. The plastic set with a pump costs about $40 while the silicone set costs around $15. 

It was the best investment of the year for us. However, some sets don't suction as well. In my experience, the Acuzone plastic set suctions well. And most any of the silicone sets are fine. 

We use the silicone cups for smaller, more contoured areas such as the bottom of the feet. We use the plastic cups that you can pump for larger flatter areas like the back or thighs. So both sets are good to have on hand. The plastic ones are more powerful.

To get them to suction, we use lotion. They can be cleaned with soap and water. 

HOW LONG DO I LEAVE THEM ON? 

We leave them on from 5 to 20 minutes. And repeat as often as needed. 

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO HAVE IT DONE PROFESSIONALLY?

If you want to have it done professionally, some medical insurance covers alternative therapies like cupping or acupuncture. Mine covered 10 sessions at my hospital. Then, after that, it was $175 per session after that. But prices vary wildly depending on where you go.

In the end, we decided to do it on our own, to save money. And for convenience. 

They are a wonderful tool to have on hand for various reasons, with pain being a main thing it helps with. 

It's how I dealt with my Panniculitis. But we've also used them for knee pain, back and shoulder pain or tension, bruises, and so on.