Cupping therapy is becoming increasingly well-known and curiosity about this therapeutic approach is on the rise. Some may have seen pictures of famous athletes with perfectly round bruises on their backs and shoulders. Some may have seen a person at their gym or movement studio with these markings, indicating a recent cupping session with their acupuncturist, physical therapist, chiropractor, or massage therapist. Cupping therapy is highly effective at reducing musculoskeletal pain and increasing function and performance.
WHAT IS CUPPING?
Cupping therapy is the use of glass or plastic cups placed on the body over areas of muscle tension and pain. The traditional form of cupping, known as fire cupping utilizes bulbous glass cups and a fire source. The fire source is often a cotton ball dipped in alcohol and set alight. The flame is placed within an inverted glass cup for a brief moment, creating a vacuum of air. The flame is then swiftly removed and the cup is placed quickly on the body causing the skin to be lifted up inside of the cup. Plastic cupping is much more convenient and uses small plastic cups that attach to a pump, which removes the air from within the cup creating the same suctioning of the skin. There are also cups made of silicone that can be manipulated to slide along the surface of the skin and this is often referred to as sliding cupping.
WHEN IS CUPPING USED?
Cupping is a wonderful technique for most kinds of muscular pain coming from tense, overworked, injured, and knotted muscles. Cupping can be used at the start or end of your acupuncture session to enhance the work that the needle treatment is performing. Cupping can be utilized each treatment as long as there is not any significant bruising left over from the previous cupping session. Cupping can also be used on the back over the area of the lungs for the treatment of respiratory conditions such as bronchitis, phlegm congestion, and at the onset of a cold. Cups can be placed on the back, arms, legs, and sometimes the torso. Cups are usually left in place for 5-15 minutes.
WHAT DOES CUPPING DO?
The most noticeable sensation of cupping therapy is the release of pressure from the muscles. You can think of it like the opposite of massage. Cupping lifts the skin and the fascia, whereas massage adds pressure. Both work to release the muscles, move lymph fluids, increase blood flow, and initiate a healing response. When there has been injury to the muscle or when a muscle becomes chronically tight from overuse, underuse, or incorrect posture, blood and lymphatic fluid does not move freely through the area. Over time this creates stagnation of these substances within the muscles and tissues. Simply put, stagnation leads to pain. Cupping therapy draws the stagnant blood up to the superficial layer of the body, hence why some people show signs of purple to light brown bruising where the cups were placed. The body flushes out this “dead” blood and stimulates the vascular and lymphatic systems, bringing fresh, healthy blood and fluids to the area for healing. Any bruising that occurs will subside in 1-7 days depending on how severe the underlying stagnation is.
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?
This is hard to explain unless you have experienced it yourself. Most patients say it feels weird, in a really good way! Many people perceive immediate relief once the cups are in place, noting how the suction effect releases pressure from their painful muscles. The cups can be adjusted to create mild suction or strong suction. The tighter the cups, the more the skin under the cups will pull. After the cups are removed there is usually a reduction in pain and increase in mobility and function. These improvements can last any number of days and over time, with continued treatment, cupping therapy can offer deep and lasting pain relief.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
Although cupping therapy is safe and effective for the vast majority of patients, there are specific instances that should be taken into consideration. Stationary cups should not be placed directly over the spine but sliding cups (cups that can slide along the body) can be moved across the spine. Cupping should never be done on those with bleeding disorders such as hemophilia or on patients with blood clotting problems such as deep vein thrombosis. Cupping can aggravate skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Studies have not been done on pregnant woman and cups should never be used on the abdomen of a woman who is pregnant.