Learn about this ancient technique and how cupping can relieve stress, pain, and boost detoxification!
What Is Cupping?
Ever been intrigued by someone's cupping marks or wonder what a cupping session is like? Let us introduce you to the ancient, healing world of cupping!
Cupping is an age-old therapeutic method that involves applying suction to the skin. When a vacuum effect is created inside of the cup, the skin and underlying tissues are lifted into the empty space. Not only does the treatment feel good in the moment, its lasting effects can help to foster healing and improve health.
This technique has been practiced across many different cultures since ancient times... it has been passed on as a therapeutic treatment for thousands of years for a reason!
What Are the Different Styles of Cupping?
Traditionally, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners and acupuncturists performed fire cupping using glass cups and a flame. However, in the last few years, new tools have come on the market, like plastic cups (that use a pump to create the vacuum inside) and pliable silicone cups. These new tools have made cupping more available to a wider range of practitioners, including physical therapists, massage therapists, and chiropractors.
Please note: Cupping should ONLY be performed by a trained practitioner to ensure safety and effectiveness.
What Are the Benefits of Cupping Therapy?
Most commonly, you will hear about people using cupping therapy for stress and pain relief. Let's look into what common benefits this therapy can promote:
Pain Relief: Cupping may help alleviate pain in areas such as the back, neck, and shoulders.
Improved Blood Flow: The suction created by the cups can enhance circulation in the treated areas.
Muscle Relaxation: Cupping may help relieve muscle tension and promote relaxation.
Reduction of Inflammation: It may help reduce inflammation and promote healing in certain conditions.
Detoxification: Some believe that cupping can assist in the removal of toxins from the body.
Stress Relief: The therapy can provide a calming effect, which may aid in reducing stress and anxiety.
What Conditions Might Cupping Therapy Help With?
Cupping has been known to help with chronic pain, muscle soreness, fibromyalgia, arthritis, respiratory and immunity issues, headaches and migraines, TMJ, and recovery from old injuries one may have suffered after a car accident and sports injury. Chronic stress and anxiety may also be helped with cupping as it may help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, the body's calm state of "Rest and Digest".
Who Shouldn't Get This Treatment?
Cupping therapy should be recommended on a case by case basis and may not be appropriate for patients who have vascular diseases or cardiac abnormalities, blood clotting disorders, active bacterial or fungal infections, immunosuppression, cystic acne on the back, or scars less than 6 months old on the back.
Pregnant patients should also express caution and let their provider know they are pregnant, although cupping the low back and sacral area can feel great in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy as the body expands to accommodate a growing baby.
Please let your acupuncturist know if you are experiencing any of the above conditions!
What Happens During a Cupping Treatment?
After a brief intake, your acupuncturist will leave you to undress and lay face down on the treatment table. Upon her return, she will add some massage oil to your back and start the cupping session. Some cups will remain in place and some cups will be moved around on the back, which we call "sliding cupping". The locations of the cups will include the whole back, but might focus on the area where you experience pain or tension regularly. The treatment will last about 20 minutes.
Does Cupping Hurt?
Generally, cupping should just feel great! Many patients report the feeling to be like a "Reverse Massage" as the skin and muscle layers are pulled up into the cups (instead of being pushed down in massage). Your acupuncturist should ask you for feedback about the intensity of the sensation and they will be able to lighten the pressure for you if it's too intense.
Many patients feel relaxed and report a sense of relief during and after the treatment, outweighing any initial discomfort. After cupping, it is common to have temporary marks or bruises on the skin, which can be tender to the touch for a few hours or days.
What Can I Expect AFTER Cupping?
There may be marks showing where the cups were placed during your treatment which we call "sha". The color may range from light pink to dark purple and often varies depending on the severity of your tension and pain before treatment (darker colors possibly indicating more stagnation and more deep, severe pain). It is also common to see more color appear near the upper portion of the body as these muscles tend to be overworked by sedentary postures and tension from stress.
Sometimes the Sha is tender to the touch, but often there is no sensation on these marks.
It is often recommended that the patient drink extra water for the next 24 hours after a cupping treatment to help flush out any of the toxins we pulled up during treatment and to help the body regenerate healthier tissues after the session. It's also best to keep the back and neck covered with a scarf or layers and avoid any extreme heat or cold exposure as they heal.
How Long Until the Cupping Marks Go Away?
Cupping marks will start to diminish within a day following treatment and will be mostly gone over the next few days. For patients who have very deep purple marks initially, remaining sha may last more than a week.
How Many Cupping Sessions Are Recommended?
It is not uncommon to see drastic results after one or two treatments, but 3-6 treatments booked about 1 to 2 weeks a part are recommended for the full effect.
One amazing thing about cupping is that you can track your healing progress each time with your marks! After each subsequent treatment, most people will see lighter and lighter marks that heal faster than the last session. This is always a great sign, indicating that deep tension, pain, and/or toxins are coming up to the surface of the body and are being processed out as new, healthier tissue and efficient circulation are taking root.
Ready to Book Cupping Therapy for Stress and Pain Relief?
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