AsiaLIFE

The medicinal herb stall in any open-air market in Cambodia is recognisable by the variety of dried products stacked in plastic bags and on bamboo trays. These include flowers, long sticks with thorns, various roots, chalks, berries, fruits, leaves, bark, sap, and on occasion sea creatures, amphibians and snakes.

Usually run by an older woman, she will ask about symptoms, before weighing out portions and folding the ingredients into a paper packet. She then provides instructions for the herbs to be brewed in a special clay pot and taken as a tea. The spiritual elements of indigenous medicinal roots and herbs are believed to be enhanced by the location where and time when the materials were gathered.

Roots are gathered during the night and on dark moons. Leaves are taken during the midday sun, when they receive most energy from the solar waves. Bark and sap are gathered in the mornings when the tree’s energy is rising. Prayers and offerings are often necessary. Adherence to these strict rules is said to ensure the spiritual quality of the products.

You may have wondered about the many Khmers sporting perfect, circular purple marks on their bodies. These polka dots are a result of an ancient procedure termed cupping.Used to treat many illnesses from fever through diarrhoea to high blood pressure, the most frequent ailment addressed by this ancient healing art is a hangover. The entire procedure takes about 30 minutes and will set you back 5,000 riel.

To begin with, an alcohol-based gel is rubbed over the patient’s back. This acts as a disinfectant and prepares the surface to make it easier for the cups to stick to the skin.Once the skin is prepared, kerosene-dipped cotton is lit and held inside a medicinal glass cup. This first heated cup is then repeatedly run up and down the patient’s back. The suction caused by the heated air in the cup draws blood to the surface preparing the body for what is to come. Once the patient’s back is warmed-up the true cupping experience commences.Moving at incredible speed the skilled technician heats each cup with the burning torch and places it on the patients back. Approximately 50 cups are placed in less than five minutes. The cups are left on the patient for 10 to 15 minutes.

Being cupped is not a painful experience. Patients report their skin feeling tight as the skin under each cup wells up under the suction. The theory is that this process draws toxins from the blood. It certainly leaves a residual red circle.Once the cups are removed the toxins that have been drawn from the blood are wiped off the patient’s back, often with a krama that looks as though it’s seen its fair share of toxins. The patient’s back and legs are then massaged for about 10 minutes.Patients report feeling clear-headed, calm and having renewed energy.

A painful alternative to cupping, coining is often administered with a copper disk. It results in red welts along the body. Used for the same purpose as cupping, it does not require a skilled technician or specialised tools. Women tend to prefer this method fearing that cupping will adversely affect their skin.

Locating an establishment offering cupping or coining can be difficult to find for non-Khmers. The easiest way to access this service is to ask your Khmer friends for a recommendation. Many of the places you see on the street advertising massage for 5,000 riel also offer cupping.