What conditions can cupping help with?
- Lower back pain
- Neck and shoulder pain
- Chronic headaches and migraines
- Plantar fasciitis
- Shoulder impingement
- SI joint discomfort
- Hip pain and mobility issues
- Chronic pain
What Is Cupping ?
Cupping, also known as myofascial decompression, has been around for thousands of years, tracing its roots to ancient Chinese and Egyptian medicine. It has gained popularity recently, evolving to treat chronic pain and musculoskeletal injuries such as strains, sprains, back injuries, and inflammation.
Cupping therapy can be adjusted depending on the needs of the client and therapist specialties. At NHRC, we use two different methods of cupping: static and dynamic. Appointments will vary slightly depending on the chosen method. Each appointment will begin with a one-on-one discussion between yourself and the therapist to discuss your symptoms and create a collaborative treatment plan.
For both static and dynamic cupping, the therapist will apply lotion or oil to the skin. At NHRC, castor oil is typically used. Your therapist will place 3-7 cups at a time. For static cupping, they will be left in place for 5-10 minutes before being removed and reapplied if necessary. When performing dynamic cupping, the therapist will place the cups, gently moving them in different directions over the affected areas of your body.
What Does Cupping Therapy do?
Cupping uses suction to draw blood to specific areas of your body depending on your individual needs. The force of the suction expands and breaks open tiny blood vessels (capillaries) under your skin. Your body replenishes the cupped areas with healthier blood flow and causes inflammation that helps to relieve tension and pain in the body. Cupping is most commonly used to treat and relieve conditions causing pain. While massage therapy uses direct pressure to release tension, cupping uses negative pressure to lift the muscle fibers and increase blood flow to the area, promoting tissue healing.
Benefits Of Cupping Therapy at NHRC
Regular cupping therapy has been found to offer a variety of benefits from the body including, but not limited to:
- Increasing inflammation to promote natural healing
- Promoting and improving blood circulation throughout the skin and body
- Reducing pain
- Decreasing muscle tightness
- Increasing range of motion
- Decompressing layers of tissue
- Encouraging whole-body comfort and relaxation
FAQs
Do I need a referral?
NHRC does not require a referral for any of our services, including cupping!
Why does cupping therapy cause “bruising”? What should I expect after cupping?
The suction created during treatment pulls on the skin. It also expands and breaks open tiny blood vessels (capillaries) under your skin and pulls blood toward the surface of the skin. Although they look like bruises, there is no damage to the muscle fiber or connective tissue under the skin. You may have red or purple round marks in the treated area which will fade within a week or two.
After your cupping appointment, you may experience some temporary swelling or soreness. There should not be any lasting or long-term pain as a result of treatment.
Is Cupping Painful?
Cupping therapy is not painful, although every individual will experience sensations differently. You may experience some skin tightness during the procedure. Afterwards, you may feel bruising and slight soreness, although you shouldn’t experience severe discomfort. Similar to a deep tissue massage, treating deepers layers of muscle tissue can result in temporary discomfort following the treatment of “problem” areas.
How often can cupping be done?
The frequency of cupping therapy appointments will depend on the individual’s skin (its ability to recover from the previous cupping appointment) and which part(s) of the body is being treated. Although it varies between individuals, 1 session per week (per area) is generally considered as the maximum frequency. This allows the body ample time to recover.