Cupping and Massage

Have you ever seen someone with circular ‘bruises’ on their back or legs? What you may have been seeing were the signs of a cupping treatment. Many people from Angelina Jolie to Michael Phelps have been shown in media with these marks; it seems cupping has become somewhat of a trend. So what is all this hype about? Let us give you the breakdown on…

What is cupping?

Cupping is a modality used in massage therapy to manipulate and loosen fascial tissue to allow further movement in that area. Cupping has been used for thousands of years in a variety of different cultures – from Egypt to China – to improve circulation. Benefits of cupping include increased range of motion and decreased tension, both of which help ease pain. Cupping is described to be the opposite of deep tissue massage, it lifts the fascia and skin away from the muscle, whereas massage is the use of pressure to spread the fascia. By using the suction technique it draws blood and oxygen to that area, thus increasing circulation. Oxygen is a huge part of the recovery process for our muscles, as it aides in restoring energy and breaking down lactic acid. The more oxygen brought to the area the faster that area will be able to heal.

What is Cupping Used to Treat?

• Tight and or injured muscles and fascial tissues
• Sore muscles post exercise
• Stiff joints
• Edema

Pain is often due to tension within the myofascial tissues causing a lack of movement in a certain area of the body. People feel pain in all different parts of their body, but some of the most common areas are upper back, shoulder and neck. There are multiple factors that can result in shoulder and neck pain, anything from poor posture or sitting long hours at a computer to chronic issues like an old injury. None the less, neck and shoulder pain can cause major discomfort in everyday life and may cause other symptoms such as headaches. Using cupping within your massage therapy treatment will further stretch those tight areas that are causing you grief.

What to Expect During a Treatment?

During a neck and shoulder treatment, cups are placed along the upper back, across the shoulders, and at the base of the neck. This allows all surrounding areas to the neck and shoulders to release tension and relax. Lighter cupping techniques can be used on the back of the neck and along the base of the skull. Cupping can cause the skin to turn a pink- purple colour, this is caused by a release of dead static blood (full of lymph, pathogens, and toxins) to be brought to the skin’s surface. Lighter cupping techniques rarely leave marks however, if there are worries about showing discolouration, the treatment plan can be altered to fit your needs. Markings can last for 1-8 days, however application of Arnica or other homeopathic anti-inflammatory cream may speed up the healing process.

For more info, talk to Krystal McLean, RMT at your next massage to see if cupping would be beneficial for you.