What is Cupping Therapy?
Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine in which a therapist places specialized cups on the skin and creates a vacuum. This suction pulls blood and lymph fluid to the surface of the skin, which is thought to help promote healing. Cupping therapy is often used to treat pain, inflammation, and blood circulation issues.
Cupping therapy is usually performed as part of your health care plan when dealing with a specific symptom or condition. However, it can also be done as a standalone treatment as well. This type of therapy is considered very safe when performed by a trained professional and can provide a wide range of health benefits.
How do Cupping Treatments work?
Cupping therapy works by creating a vacuum on the skin. This suction pulls blood and lymph fluid to the surface of the skin, which is thought to help promote natural healing. The cups can be made of glass, bamboo, earthenware, or plastic.
We will place the cups on your skin and create a vacuum. The suction from the cups will pull the skin up and into the cup. Depending on your treatment plan, we may leave the cups in place for up to 10 minutes.
Cups are most often applied to the back, chest, abdomen, buttocks and legs. Placement will vary based on what symptoms and conditions are of concern.
Benefits of Cupping Therapy
Some common benefits of Cupping Therapy include:
- Increases flexibility/range of motion
- Loosen muscles
- Myofascial release
- Relieves pain
- Stimulates blood flow
- Relieves pain
- Stimulates blood flow
Many patients report that incorporating cupping into their therapy helps reduce pain and speed up recovery. The following are some of the conditions and symptoms that may be treated with Cupping Therapy:
If you’re dealing with any of the above symptoms or conditions, cupping therapy may provide relief. Cupping therapy is also thought to promote relaxation and stress reduction.
Different Types of Cupping Treatments
Cupping therapy can be classified into four groups:
- Dry cupping: a suction-only method
- Wet/bleeding cupping: may involve both suction and controlled medicinal bleeding
- Running cupping: involves moving suctioned cups around the body after applying oil to massage the desired area
- Flash cupping: involves quick, repeated suction and release of cups on an area of the body
Not all health care professional provide all the different types of cupping therapies. This really depends on their speciality as well as what treatment plans make sense for your care.
Is Cupping Therapy Painful?
Most people report cupping therapy as being painless. There may be some discomfort when the suction is first applied to your skin. However, this should go away quickly. It can be deep and therapeutic or gentle and relaxing depending on the patient’s preference and desired result of the treatment. Discoloration of the skin may occur after cupping treatment; however, the marks are not painful. The discoloration following treatment ranges, but usually lasts anywhere from 3 days to a week.
Cupping Therapy Treatments in [Location_name]
If you’re dealing with number of symptoms or conditions, it’s possible that Cupping Therapy may be able to help. Our team is specially trained in Cupping Therapy techniques so we can help you achieve optimal health.
Contact us today to consult about Cupping Therapy to see if it’s right for you!
