What is Cupping Therapy ?
(also known as myofascial decompression)
Cupping is an ancient therapy used in Ancient Egypt, China and the Middle East for over 3,500 years, in which the therapist puts special cups on your skin for a few minutes to create suction. The cups may be made of glass, silicone or plastic. Sometimes the cups are warmed before placement to create a vacuum which draws tissue up into the cup. Cups are often placed on the back, neck and shoulders or a pain site. The cups are left in place anywhere from five to 20 minutes depending on the nature of the individual's condition and which type of cupping treatment is given. A general course of treatment involves four to six sessions in intervals starting from three to ten day gaps.
What is the purpose of the suction?
The suction raises the skin, muscles and fascia into the cup, thus increasing the blood flow, loosening the fascia or connective tissue to release stagnation (blockages or imbalances) of life force energy or Qi (Chi) and stimulate the free flow circulation of healthy energy through the body. Suction pulls toxins, pathogenic factors, blood poison, dead lymph and cellular debris from deep within the tissues to the surface so they may be more easily expelled from the body.
Does cupping hurt?
No. You may feel sensations of coolness or warmth, a pulling sensation or a feeling of relaxation and relief. Depending on the amount of blockages released, you may feel light-headed.
What are the perceived benefits of cupping?
A couple of thousand years ago cupping was used to reduce fevers, arthritis and gout. Now, people get it for many purposes, including to help with musculoskeletal pain, inflammation, migraines and brain congestion, paralysis, digestive complaints, joint stiffness and pain, bronchitis, blood flow, lymphatic drainage, relaxation and well-being and as a type of deep tissue massage. Cupping encourages tissues to release toxins and can increase lymphatic output, helping your immune system to function more effectively. It can even be used on children for chest colds, bronchial congestion and asthma. Because cupping gets the blood flowing more freely, it can get to weak, sick or malnourished parts of the body which may be vulnerable to sickness, providing nutrients, oxygen, vitamins and minerals.
Cupping has become a popular method of treatment with professional athletes such as the amazing American swimmer, Michael Phelps. Here is a picture of Michael winning one of his Olympic gold medals in Rio where you can visibly see his cupping marks.
For swimming athletes, the chemicals used in pools where they train and compete many hours every day are highly toxic. Cupping draws these toxins out of the body before they lead to stagnation, blood poison, pain and dysfunction.
Cupping vs Detoxing-which is better?
Detox products and programs often have uneven results depending on many factors. Our body has organs programmed to remove toxins from our blood. The way we live our lives often stresses and overloads our body with toxins, without us even realizing. By helping the blood and chi to flow, cupping boosts your body by flushing built-up toxins, waste and ruptured fat cells through your lymphatic system. Removing blood and energy stagnation and increasing the flow can improve / accelerate your metabolism, encouraging cells to grow and repair. Cupping is one treatment along with Ionic Detox Footbath and Bio-electric Lymphatic Drainage which can accelerate your detox results.
Why does cupping leave coloured circles on the skin?
The colours left on the skin after a cupping treatment, indicate the degree of stagnation which includes static blood, blocked lymph, interstitial fluids, cellular debris, pathogenic factors and toxins. Cupping uses suction to draw stagnation up and out of the body. Bruising, on the other hand, is caused by impact trauma which compresses and breaks capillaries causing a reactionary rush of fluids to the damaged location from the tissue injury. In the case of athletes and people who strenuously work out, injury can occur deep in the muscle, bleeding often occurs causing deep bruises. In those areas there will often be edema or swelling involving the coagulation of sticky proteins. It is the combination of these elements that usually results in stagnation of circulation to the area, resulting in pain, dysfunction and chronic conditions. The vacuum formed by Cupping draws up the old non-circulating stagnant blood and sticky fluids from the area, bringing them up to the surface and away from the injury, restoring healthy unobstructed circulation which allows oxygen and nutrients to get to the cells and facilitate recovery. The colour depends on the level of stagnation in the area and range from a bright red to dark purple. Darker colours mean higher levels of toxins and lighter colours mean less toxins at the treatment site.
How long will the cupping marks last?
How long those marks last after treatment also indicates the general vitality of that tissue. Marks usually last from 3 days to a week, sometimes longer if the person is very sick or sedentary. If no stagnation is present, there will only be a pink marking which will disappear in a few minutes to a couple of hours. If the person receiving cupping treatment sweats a lot on a daily basis, they may never get cupping marks. Because many people in North America are unfamiliar with cupping, it is important to educate your friends, colleagues and health professionals about it so they do not mistake the discoloration of cupping marks for physical abuse.
How do I prepare for a cupping session?
Drink plenty of room-temperature water before your session and for 24-48 hours after. This will help your body flush out what has been drawn up to the surface during cupping.
You will need to fill out an intake and consent form before your session and on that form you can indicate which areas you would like addressed.
What do I do after a cupping treatment?
1. Hydrate! Drink lots of room temperature or warm water to give your lymphatic system
the extra fluids it needs to flush your body of the toxins.
2. Don't shower or swim for at least 8 hours after a cupping treatment because your pores are still opening.
3. Keep the areas that were treated covered and warm.
4. Avoid alcohol.
5. You may feel fatigued or experience flu-like symptoms the next day. Some people (not everyone) feel chilled, achy, sore, tired and have mild flu-like symptoms after cupping. These detox symptoms are natural and they should be mild and brief. They should only last about 24 to 48 hours
Who should AVOID CUPPING?
Avoid cupping if you have any of the following conditions:
· Bone fracture
· Burns (including sunburns)
· Cancer and Tumours
· Cardiac arrest within the last 6 months
· Haemophilia (and people on blood thinners or who bleed easily)
· Infections
· Menstruation (avoid cupping while you are bleeding)
· Muscle or ligament sprain or tendon rupture
· Open Wounds (including eczema and psoriasis)
· Organ Failure
· Pacemakers
· Pregnancy (avoid cupping on abdomen and lower back)
· Severe chronic disease like heart disease or anemia
· Skin sites with active inflammation
· Stomach full or completely empty
· Tuberculosis
How often can I get a cupping treatment?
Cupping can be used as a long-term therapy for relaxation, relieving tension and for general health maintenance. Every other day or once a week at the beginning of treatment would be normal and then when presenting issues are resolved, whenever needed. Any marks from a former cupping session should either be gone or extremely faded before doing another session. Full benefits are usually achieved after 5-10 visits; patients under 16 normally require less treatment.
How much does a cupping treatment cost?
A cupping session by itself is 50 minutes long and costs $100.
Cupping therapy as an add-on to an existing BELD, Massage or Reflexology treatment costs $35.
You may book a treatment online or by calling our clinic at 416-924-8887.
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