The Benefits of Cupping Therapy

Cupping is a healing modality that has been used around the globe by traditional cultures for thousands of years. It is even depicted in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs! In today’s terms, we understand it to help with pain, inflammation, circulation, detoxification and relaxation. While the materials and methods have been modernized, cupping remains a relevant and effective therapy for promoting the healing of muscle conditions.

What’s Involved

A gentle suction is applied to strategic areas of the skin and superficial tissues using cup-like devices. These are typically made from glass or plastic and can be placed in a stationary manner or used with oil to “slide” over tissues in a massage-like fashion. Cupping typically lasts 10-15 minutes per area but can be adjusted based on a patient’s particular needs.

How Cupping Works

For all forms of cupping, the air is removed from cups as they are applied to the skin to create a vacuum effect. This vaso pneumatic effect lifts the tissue and skin, thus improving the flow of blood, fluids and lymph through the tissues. Cupping is often used to alleviate pain by relaxing muscle fibers, and promote healing in soft tissues (fascia, muscles, tendons, ligaments). It is especially helpful for chronic issues and deep injuries.

When an injury occurs in the deep body, bleeding may occur that may not be visible superficially. Our body will also trigger an immune response by sending lymph, fluids and white blood cells to the area to protect the injured tissue and start the healing process. Healing can often be interrupted when the combination of these elements become trapped at the site creating chronic pain and dysfunction. The vacuum formed by the cupping will help draw out the old, non-circulating or stagnant blood and sticky fluids from the injury site by bringing them to the surface. When this happens, new oxygenated blood, nutrients and fluids can be restored to the affected area, thus promoting faster recovery.

Cupping therapy will often leave a temporary mark on the skin when the old blood, lymph and cellular debris is mobilized (1). The cupping brings these materials to the surface where they can more easily be cleared by the body’s circulatory systems. These marks may last from a day to up to two weeks. A site where there is old trauma may require multiple treatments to remove all the stagnation. The marks will become progressively lighter as stagnation is removed and healthy circulation is restored (2).

Types of Cupping and When to Use Which

Various holistic medicines have modifications on types of cupping, but the most common methods used clinically today are stationary cups and sliding cups. With the stationary method, the air is sucked out of the cups, and they stay in place for 3-5 minutes. The suction is usually stronger and can leave dark marks that look like bruises (unlike a bruise, the marks do not hurt). The second common method is sliding cups. This treatment involves gliding the cups long the body with the aid of some kind of lubricant. Sliding cups generally use gentler suction and may or may not leave marks that are less distinct.

Acupuncturists choose different methods based on the desired result. Stationary cups are typically chosen for an acute injury or where there is a focal area of pain. For example, pain in the lower back area after trying a new exercise or overdoing it at the gym. In cases like this, stationary cups can improve healing time and alleviate pain immediately. An acupuncturist will also use the marks to help diagnose where exactly is the stagnation. Stationary cups can also be used to ease the discomfort of progesterone injection sites or other areas of pain due to stagnation of fluids or cellular debris.

Sliding cups are most effective to help with improving blood flow to organ systems or to extract pathogens and toxins. Sliding cups are typically applied to a larger area and the gliding motion can help with lymphatic drainage and circulation as well (3). Sliding cups are often used to help with systemic conditions such as a cold / flu or digestive problems. It is also great to improve circulation to organs and to relax chronic tension pain and tightness.

Both methodologies can be interchanged in certain cases and when patients don’t want the tell-tale marks of stationary cups, the techniques can be modified to avoid marks while still improving flying movement.

It is important in both cases to keep the cupped area warm and covered since the suction opens pores and makes a person more susceptible to pathogens. Typically, it’s recommended to avoid extreme exercise or consuming intoxicants such as alcohol after cupping. Many acupuncturists suggest no showers or baths for 12 to 24 hours after cupping but if you can make sure to use warm water and dry off right away (including drying your hair) then showering isn’t a big problem.

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https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/cupping-therapy#1
https://thedoctorweighsin.com/how-cupping-therapy-works-and-who-it-helps/
https://www.cuppingtherapy.org/pages/papers/The%20Clinical%20Application%20of%20Sliding%20Cu
pping.pdf