What is cupping?

Cupping is a technique used in traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for certain health conditions.  Glass or bamboo cups are placed on the skin with suction, which is believed to influence the flow of energy and blood in the body.  In modern times, plastic cups are also used.  Cupping should not be confused with the percussive technique in Swedish Massage called "cupping" or "clapping."

The Origins

Cupping was originally called "horn therapy" in ancient China, but variations of it have been used in Turkey, Greece, France, Italy, and Eastern Europe.  Cupping has a long history of use in acupuncture practice and has been combined with bloodletting, but it is a therapy in its own right.  There are specialist cupping practitioners in Japan.

The Benefits

Cupping is a safe and non-invasive technique.  It is used by practitioners of Chinese medicine to treat colds, lung infections, and problems in the internal organs. It is also used to treat muscle and joint pain and spasms, particularly in the back.  Cupping can be used on people for whom the injection of acupuncture needles poses a problem or risk.  Cupping therapy is thought to stimulate blood circulation and penetrate much deeper than conventional massage can do.

Description

Cupping strives to balance and improve the flow of qi, or life energy, which travels throughout the body in channels called meridians.  According to traditional Chinese medicine, illness is caused when qi does not move properly in the body.  
Acupuncturists use cupping for specific problems in the flow of qi. Cupping disperses and moves qi by exerting suction and pressure.  Cupping is used when the qi is blocked at certain points, or when qi needs to be drawn to the surface of the body from deep within.  For instance, cupping is used to treat lung infections and colds, because it is believed that the suction disperses and energizes the qi that has become blocked and stagnated in the lungs.   

Cupping is also used by massage therapist in assisting with the release of facia, found at the first layer under the skin.  Facia is the leading cause in tension within a person, particularly in the back.  By using the cups, the therapist is able to use various techniques to loosen the facia, allowing a more productive outcome to the massage being applied.

 
What to expect during your treatment

Patients usually lie down for a cupping treatment. Cups are made of plastic or strong glass.  To create a vacuum, with the plastic cups, they are pumped with a hand pump to create a vacuum making the skin draw up into the cup.   With the glass cups, a flame from a lighter or a burning cotton ball is placed in an upside-down cup.  When the oxygen in the cup is burned off, the cup is placed directly on the skin, where it is held in place by a surprisingly strong suction.  Often, the skin inside the cup visibly rises.  Cupping is generally a painless procedure.

Cupping is used, if required, in conjunction with a massage, allowing the Facia, which is the layer directly under the skin, to release, allowing the therapist to more easily access the muscles directly.  The procedure is the same, however, oil is applied to allow the cups to move freely as the therapist moves the cup up and down the back, releasing the tissues.

While the therapist works on one side of the body, the other cups are then left on the body whilst the area beneath is being treated and the energy is moved. Generally, the cups are left in place for up to 10 minutes as the skin begins to redden due to the congestion of blood flow.  The therapist will then remove these cups and swap sides of the body.  Once this has occurred, and the tissue is more pliable, all cups will be removed and the massage therapist will be able to continue working on the body.


What to expect after your treatment?

Marking

After a cupping session, you will notice your skin will come up in red welts or markings.  This discolouration is not caused by broken vessels or tissue trauma, but through the drawing up of waste products to the surface for excretion.  These marks generally will only last between two and seven days.

Tiredness

Most often, the effects of the cupping feel the same as after a strong and deep massage.  Occasionally you may feel a little run down while the body is cleaning out the waste products.  To assist in overcoming this, slow down and drink small amounts of water regularly.

Relief

After your treatment you will see the immediate affects.  You will feel a lot looser and the muscular pain you were feeling will be relieved.  Instead of the deep, intense muscle ache, this will be replaced by a feeling of relaxation.

Adrienne’s qualifications

Adrienne completed two cupping courses with the Bodylink School of Massage Therapies:

Cupping and Gua Sha Course

and

Myofascial Cupping (Cupping Level 2)