In addition to my traditional massage techniques, I’m now offering cupping therapy. Cupping therapy operates by reducing atmospheric pressure within the cup, gently lifting soft tissues.
Soft tissues often become rigid, excessively tense, or congested with toxins due to factors associated with athletic activities, poor posture, overuse injuries, chronic injuries, exposure to environmental chemicals, and the burdens of stress. Many clients seek my expertise when they feel fatigued, stressed, and burdened with achy, tense muscles.
Cupping Therapy or Negative Compression Therapy addresses the concerns my clients have and the advantages are many, including:
- Softening and lifting rigid connective tissues
- Easing adhesions
- Enhancing blood flow to stagnant areas
- Draining excess fluids and toxins
- Over time, reshaping myofascial bands
- Initiating a parasympathetic (rest and digest) response in your nervous system
- Generating localized tissue expansion and vasodilation for improved blood flow
- Elevating skin temperature
- Facilitating the flushing of capillary beds
Cupping Marks
Cupping therapy frequently produces distinctive skin reactions known as cupping marks. The exact cause of these marks has several theories, including:
- Stagnation of blood flow
- Accumulated congestion and toxins
- Presence of dead cellular debris
It's important to distinguish between cupping marks and bruises (ecchymosis). Bruises typically stem from compression injuries, which entail internal bleeding, coagulation of healing proteins, and the accumulation of neurological pain receptors, among other elements in the healing process.
History of Cupping
As for its historical roots, cupping therapy boasts an ancient lineage. Hieroglyphic records indicate its use in Egypt approximately 3,500 years ago, and it remains a revered component of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with origins dating back to 1,000 B.C.
