Myo-Fascial Cupping

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What is Cupping Therapy?

As the name suggests, Cupping Therapy is a source of therapy to add wellness to the body

using one or more cups with or without heat applied to a given region on the body. The 2016

Olympics quite accidentally made it a global topic for discussion resulting in many people

running to their local TCM or Professional Massage Therapist for its application.

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So Who, What, Why, When and How???

Who needs Cupping? Cupping is for everyone not just the athlete. If there is tension then

cupping can assist whether you are young, old, athletic or sedentary. 

What is Cupping? Cupping Therapy softens tight muscles, tones attachments, loosens adhesions and lifts connective tissue by creating suction and negative pressure. This same suction also brings hydration and blood flow to body tissues, and drains excess fluids and metabolic waste by opening lymphatic pathways (a vital part of the immune system). Cupping therapy is very versatile and can be modified to achieve a variety of techniques ranging from subtle lymphatic drainage to deep tissue release.

 

                                                                               Why apply Cupping in Massage?

                                                                               Various people have employed the use of negative pressure throughout history. Cupping                                                                                   traces back further than 5,000 BC and its true origin remains obscure. Cupping was                                                                                           originally used to dredge toxic blood from the body and to pull venom from bites. The                                                                                       observation that cupping can move fluids in the body has enhanced modern healthcare                                                                                     tremendously.  Cupping Therapy Massage has finally become accepted in many western                                                                                   societies now to enhance and accelerate treatment.

 

 

 

Why does cupping leave marks?

A common misinterpretation of cupping concerns the discoloration that can occur during treatment. Often when pathologic factors and stagnant fluids (metabolic waste, blood and lymph) are dredged up during treatment, discoloration will appear on the skin. This is the therapeutically desired effect – the more this is visible, the greater the level of stagnation and toxicity that has been removed. The marks are caused by impact trauma with breakage of capillaries and reactionary rush of fluids to the damaged area from the tissue compression/injury, and there is no compression in properly employed suction cup therapy,

so bruising should not occur. Although it is quite common during stationary Cupping

(left static for 5 – 20 minutes) to achieve dramatic marks or discolorations, less aggressive

action while moving the cups can minimize the intensity and duration of these marks, and

any discoloration should fade over a few days.

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When to use Cupping?

Cupping can be used at both the beginning of a massage session in a sliding manner or at the

end. It will be decided by the therapist when it is necessary or useful, it might be in the first

off treatment or further down the track when the massage ‘tricks’ are not quite enough. 

 

Precautions and Contraindications

Cupping therapy, in general, is very safe and has no side-effects. There are a few exceptions, however, and when these are observed the implementation is safe and the benefits are generous. Precaution is necessary when treating patients who may be on anticoagulant drugs, or have an empty stomach, Cupping therapy is contraindicated in all the following conditions: to an open wound, to inflamed or infected tissue, to a bleeding injury (external as well as internal), over a fracture and to a grade III muscle or ligament sprain, as well as in complete tendon rupture. particularly during long fasting periods such as the holy Ramadan month, as fasting temporarily weakens the body’s energy.

During pregnancy, avoid cupping to the lower and upper abdomen; the lower back can be cupped until the sixth month of pregnancy, using Light or Medium cupping methods only.

 

                                                                                How does it work?

                                                                                A cup is positioned on the area to be treated and, depending on the type of cups being                                                                                      used, a vacuum is created within the cup to draw the underlying tissue into the cup. The                                                                                    suction level can range from light to heavy, and the movements performed by the                                                                                               therapist can be either stimulating or sedating, depending on the needs of the client.                                                                                         The produced vacuum creates a suction effect that increases blood circulation to the                                                                                         local area, relaxes muscle tissue and releases a myriad pain causing factors.

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As treatments accumulate and the cause of stagnation and buildup has been drained (usually by the 3rd or 4th treatment) no discoloration is likely to occur at all, even though each time the cupping may have been focused on the same area for the same duration and with the same amount of negative pressure. This is the result of having internal unwanted toxins systematically purged. This is helpful in taking pressure off of joints and organs in the body by pulling this fluid and “creating space” for the tissue.

Cupping Marks & Post Treatment Care

When circulation is sluggish or compromised in an injured or diseased area of the body, the cells receive insufficient oxygen, and there can be a local build up of waste products. The deposits dissipate from a few hours up to several weeks, depending on the amount of stagnation and the patient’s post treatment activities.

Usually, the practitioner will see the greatest amount of deposits being drawn to the surface in the first few treatments – this is a good thing.  The deposits will lessen in intensity as the deeper issues are resolved and the stagnations and toxins have been dredged up and flushed out via the body’s own circulatory systems and expulsion from the pores.  Although the marks look painful, they are not. Patients usually feel an immediate sense of relief.

 

 

For four to six hours following a treatment you should avoid any strenuous activity, cold weather and unpleasantly hot environments.

Cupping opens the pores and because of this the absorption of liniments, analgesics, plant hydrosols or essential oils will be aided. Drinking more water than is typically necessary following treatment is helpful for oxygenating cleansed tissues.

If you think that Cupping Therapy would be beneficial for you, please ask about it next time you are booking your appointment.