Traditional Chinese Medicine Cupping Therapy: A Practical Guide, 1e [Paperback]

Ilkay Z. Chirali (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 044306038X | ISBN-13: 978-0443060380 | Publication Date: March 25, 1999 | Edition: 1

This unique reference explores all aspects of cupping-- an ancient, predominantly Eastern technique in which heated cups are applied to the body for beneficial healing effects. Guidelines are applied to the treatment of common medical conditions, with answers to readers' questions concerning safety and outcome. Each method is well illustrated, with differentiations between cupping practice on adults and children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Churchill Livingstone; 1 edition (March 25, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044306038X
• ISBN-13: 978-0443060380
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,941,231 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ilkay Zihni Chirali was born in 1946 in Lemba (CIRALI) Gazi Baf, Cyprus. He grew up in a village by the sea where people, animals and plants were dependent upon each other. They shared the same simplicity and their environment was always treated with conviction, respect and love.

He eventually left Cyprus to pursue his higher education, first in Turkey and then in Sweden and England. In 1982 with his family he emigrated to Australia, where he studied Traditional Chinese Medicine with Professor Wong Lun and Master Daniel Wong. He qualified as an acupuncture practitioner in Melbourne, Australia, where he opened his first Acupuncture and Stress Therapy Clinic. He returned to England in 1987 and now runs an Acupuncture and Cupping Therapy clinic in Bexleyheath, Kent, where he treats children as well as adults.

His wide-ranging studies have brought him expertise in Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Cupping Therapy (Hejama), clinical hypnotherapy, the Lusher Personality Test, Paediatric acupuncture, and Western Pathology. He has studied further in Nanjing, China, at the College of International Medicine and First Affiliated Hospital in the Internal Medicine, Dermatology and Gynaecology departments.

He has practiced cupping therapy from an early age, and gaining his first experience of the technique when employing the traditional Turkish folklore remedy for colds. He has been organising regular cupping workshops around the world since 1988 and a BBC TV programme appearing as an "Expert". To date, he has given over 60 public lectures and a BBC World Service Radio talk on the subject of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Cupping Therapy.

E-mail : [e-mail]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a well-thought-out book on a hard-to-find subject., June 25, 1999

By 

Bruce Boatner (Eagle, Idaho USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Traditional Chinese Medicine Cupping Therapy: A Practical Guide, 1e (Paperback)

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.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A practical guide & other stuff, July 28, 2001

By 

Mauricio C. Quintana "cintain" (Mexico City, DF Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Traditional Chinese Medicine Cupping Therapy: A Practical Guide, 1e (Paperback)

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clear and Concise, July 31, 2006

By 

tcm nerd "Shiatsuist" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Traditional Chinese Medicine Cupping Therapy: A Practical Guide, 1e (Paperback)

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.