SOCIAL LEADER: A little cupping along side massage therapy can have a big impact. Check out the link below about what cupping is and how it can help your body. ___________________________________________________________________________
We can all likely point to when we first found out what cupping was all about. For most, it was the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games when Micheal Phelps had precisely shaped bruises on his body. Enter cupping into our conversations.
As elite as the cupping therapy may appear, it is completely accessible to anyone and produces benefits similar to ones gold medalists experience.
What Is Cupping?
Cupping has been part of the Traditional Chinese medicine reprator for centuries dating as far back as 3,000 years ago. It wasn’t until the 1950s that cupping was used in hospitals in China. Most recently in the US, cupping has been made known by numerous celebrities, athletes, and the power of social media.
Cupping therapy involves the enlisting of small, special cups to create suction on a client’s skin. When using a silicone cup, a therapist will place the cup onto the client’s skin. They will then compress the cup to create a suction between the cup and skin. The cups are usually left in place for a few minutes.
This suction can be associated with the counterbalance to massage’s pressing into the muscles, cupping pulls up. When moved around slightly, cupping can feel as relaxing as a massage.
What Are The Benefits Of Cupping Therapy?
The primary benefit of cupping is the encouragement of increased blood flow that occurs during the suction. As the basis of so many healing methods, blood flow is key.
As a client’s body senses the blood moving to the specific area being treated, the body starts to move into the inflammatory mode, moving antibodies to help heal that area. This increased blood flow can assist in repairing muscles and damaged tissues such as surgical scar sites.
Cupping generally follows the five meridian lines on the back and has been known to help in:
- Relieving neck and back pains
- Loosen stiff muscles
- Assist in helping with fatigue and migraines
- Provide relief with respiratory conditions
- Increasing circulatory system function
- Myofascial release for increased motion and pain relief
How To Get The Most Out Of Cupping Therapy
In order to maximize the benefits of cupping therapy, a few things should be done before and after receiving treatment.
Pre and post receiving massage therapy with or without cupping, hydration is very important. Water helps the lymphatics system perform at its best.
Before treatment, don’t go in with an empty stomach. Something small about an hour or so beforehand will help. Don’t shave or exfoliate prior to the appointment. Both make the skin extra sensitive. Be sure to stay safe in the sun as cupping can not be done on a sunburn.
After treatment, keep the areas that just received cupping warm and try to rest. The immune system is in a heightened state of awareness and feeling a bit tired is to be expected. Also, try to avoid consuming things such as caffeine, alcohol, dairy, processed meats, or sugary foods/drinks. All of those items can work against the cupping treatment just received.
Hot showers, saunas, laying in the sun, etc. are all things that skin can be super sensitive to after a session. Avoiding things like heavy exercise and cold/windy weather to allow the skin time to recover.
And as for those cupping marks, redness is to be expected. Those circular areas will fade in quickly. Blistering of the skin should never be experienced as it can indicate too much cupping has been performed.
The frequency of cupping will likely depend on the intensity of the issue that someone has. If it is an intense issue, cupping may be used along with massage therapy one to two times a week. If it is a minor issue, cupping may only be used once a month. The final recommendation schedule should be something discussed between you and your massage therapist.
Interested in adding cupping into your next massage therapy session? Be sure to chat about it with your therapist. They would love to help see if it is a good fit for you and your treatment plan.
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