Paracelsus, "Opus Chyrurgicum", Cupping Therapy, 1565. A man and a woman are sitting on a bench in a sauna, their feet soaking in tubs of water; localized hyperemia is achieved by the application on small cups; also present are two small children. Cupping therapy is an ancient form of therapy in which a local suction is created on the skin; practitioners believe this mobilizes blood flow in order to promote healing. Suction is created using heat (fire) or mechanical devices (hand or electrical pumps). There is reason to believe the practice dates from as early as 3000 BC. The Ebers Papyrus, and one of the oldest medical textbooks in the world, describes the Egyptian use of cupping. Archeologists have found evidence in China of cupping dating back to 1000 BC. In ancient Greece, Hippocrates used cupping for internal disease and structural problems. This method in multiple forms spread into medicine throughout Asian and European civilizations.