Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative therapy that dates back to ancient Egyptian, Chinese and Middle Eastern cultures.
During Cupping therapy, therapists apply glass, bamboo or silicone cups to the skin to create suction of the skin.
The application of the cups can be used to treat a variety of conditions such as:
- Muscle pain tension
- Reduced joint movement
- Back pain and sciatica
- Stress and anxiety
During dry cupping, the cups are placed over several areas to create a vacuum which lifts the soft tissue; this creates an upward stretch within the muscle and associated fascia. The vacuum lift helps to increase the blood flow and induces a stretch effect, which results in a reduction in muscle tension and associated pain.
During Dry cupping, the cups can either be left in a static position or moved to provide a deep tissue massage effect. Both the static movement applications of cupping therapy complement other therapy techniques; such as sports and deep tissue massage, dry needling and acupuncture.
Dry cupping works well in conjunction with traditional sports and deep tissue massage; as the lifting effect provided from the cups works synergistically with the downward pressure application of the manual massage.
How does dry cupping work?
Initially the vacuum application of the cup pulls blood into an area. This leads to the effected tissue becoming saturated with fresh blood. This saturation can often leave a circular mark, which is consistent with a hicky or love bite mark. However, this usually disappears after a day or so and happens to a lesser extent on subsequent treatments.
Neovascularisation (new blood vessel formation), occurs in response to blood being drawn into the tissue. This leads to an increase in nutrient and oxygen content within the localised area.
Due to the vacuum effect, the soft tissue often experiences micro-trauma and separation between the tissue layers. The body responds to this micro-trauma by stimulating an inflammatory response, which is the natural process of healing. During this stage, the body releases chemicals such as white blood cells, platelets and fibroblasts to initiate healing.
Finally, the stretch that is produced in the soft tissue and fascia leads to a relaxation effect within the muscle, which results in improved range of motion and performance.