Cupping wasn’t much popular until Gold-Medalist swimmer Michael Phelps appeared to his 2016 Olympic swim races with those certain circular marks on. More recently, former NFL Patriots player James Harrison was featured in National Geographic sharing how he relies on cupping to recover from the demands football took on his body. When asked how he felt following his treatments, he said, “[all] I know is before I get treated, I HURT, and after, I feel better.” Even Katy Perry had cupping (and acupuncture) done in her latest music video.
Definitely, I am happy to see that celebrities and professional athletes believe in and get immense benefits of these natural therapies. Even if it gained a spike in popularity, this is not something new to the world. In fact, cupping therapy has been practiced for thousands of years, with some of the oldest records dating to 1550 B.C. in Ancient Greece and 300 A.D. in China.
From Horns to Jars
As Traditional Chinese Medicine evolved, so did cupping. Bamboo, stone jars, and animal horns were eventually replaced with the specialized glass cups used today. Although cupping was practiced for centuries in China, it became an official therapeutic modality in hospitals during the 1950s. To this day, cupping remains a hallmark offering of Chinese Medicine, along with other soft-tissue modalities like Gua Sha and of course, acupuncture.
Rest assured, the good news is you do not need to be a pop icon or professional athlete to benefit from cupping. Here’s some important information to see if see cupping works fine for you. So let’s break it down.
Start at the Beginning: What is Cupping?
Cupping therapy is a soft tissue process which slightly lifts the skin and underlying connective tissue (called fascia) through negative pressure. This lifting dynamic enhances blood flow in tight, painful, and restricted muscles by creating space for old, oxygen-depleted blood to leave so that fresh, oxygen-rich blood can enter. In Chinese Medicine, cupping promotes the free flow of Qi and blood by remove blockages and stagnation along the meridians that cause pain.
Think about it: when your body is stressed from repetitive movements, exercise, emotions, or even from being stuck in one position for a long period, your blood vessels and muscles constrict.This negatively affects circulation leaving old, nutrient-deficient blood and metabolites like lactic acid to collect in the tissue which causes pain (tension, soreness, stiffness).
Where Do the Cups Go?
Common points of cupping are the back, shoulders, and posterior neck, but can also be done in forearms, hamstrings, and lower legs (calves) as needed. I always adopt a holistic approach with patients and apply cups depending on the meridians AND muscles involved in their condition.
When Is Cupping Most Effective?
Cupping is ideal for when you have muscles that are too tight, sore, stiff, or painful—and the discomfort is hard to shake. If you have a never-ending pain with no relief from stretching or you have lumps that are impossible to let go of, cupping can be the best solution. After your first appointment, I recommend that patients wait until their marks fade away until doing another session.
How Does Cupping Work?
How the cups are applied depends on the type of material being used. . For instance, certain plastic and glass cups are equipped with air nozzles at the top which helps your practitioner to manually induce suction with the help of a tube or attachment device. That is one way. The other is with glass cups and fire. Actually called “Fire Cupping,” this is the traditional way cupping has been done for millennia and is the type that requires formal training.Fire Cupping was included in my curriculum in grad school and we performed a practical on performing it safely and effectively before beginning our clinical Internships.
Creating Suction with Fire
Firstly, I apply a massage oil to the points where we will place cups (this helps to move the cups once they are positioned). Next, I take an alcohol-soaked cotton ball and light it (not to worry, the flame is small and controlled). Next (and of course away from your body), I insert the flame in and out the cup which burns up all of the oxygen inside, creating the vacuum seal so the cup can stick. When the cups are applied, you may feel a little pressure but it is never painful. The sensation is like a massage in reverse: instead of kneading and compressing sore muscles, the cups lift the fascia to give the the lactic acid room to leave. In any case, I always adjust the pressure based on my patient’s comfort level.
Slide Cupping
During a back treatment, for example, once one or two cups are placed, I usually start by sliding them along the length of the muscles/meridians involved which allows me to determine the points of stagnation and improper blood flow—which is visible through the dark pink to red/purple coloration people get from Cupping. The darker the marks, the worse the circulation is!
Stationary Cupping
Once these areas of stagnation are identified, I place several more cups and leave them in place for a few more minutes. You do not need to place cups for a longer time to be effective. During this time patients feel relaxed and some have said they felt like they were floating in the best kind of way.
The marks that appear are an anticipated and therapeutic side effect that fade within a few days to a week, depending on the person.
Care Consideration
Please make sure you get cupping done from a formally-trained practitioner (through a degree program or an accredited continuing education course). Some people think cupping is easy to learn and do, but it’s not, and there is so much more to it. It takes a trained practitioner to be aware of when to not do cupping, areas to avoid, and overall safe application. Getting any type of cupping therapy done by an untrained individual carries risks that are not worth it. Do your research and ask your practitioner questions. Cupping is safe, effective, and relaxing when done right—and in the right hands!
When It Should Be Avoided:
Cupping should never be done over fragile, broken, sunburned, or edematous (swollen) skin. Areas with major arteries are a major NO. Cupping is not advised during pregnancy and is typically off-limits for those with cancer, organ failure, heart disease, hemophilia, have a pacemaker or who are taking blood-thinning medications.
Dr. Lauren Dyer, DACM, L.Ac., was inspired to study Acupuncture by how Acupuncture promoted wellness instead of just combating disease, and how it took a person's lifestyle, diet, and even psychology into account while treating the underlying factors contributing to imbalance for sustainable relief. Lauren is passionate about bridging the gaps in understanding between Traditional Chinese Medicine and Bio-medical paradigms, and she incorporates current research and evidence-based approaches into her practice. You can learn more about Lauren at runeacupuncture.com.
