If you’ve been watching sports on TV, you may have noticed some athletes with circular bruises on their skin. These marks are left by a technique known as cupping. Cupping is a therapy thought to originally be used in Chinese, Middle Eastern and Egyptian cultures. It involves creating suction using a silicone cup or flammable substance to create negative pressure. This pressure creates a vacuum on the skin where the cup is placed. This vacuum increases blood flow in the skin and if left in place, results in the circular bruises.
There are a number of different techniques and uses for cupping. One technique commonly used involves gliding the cups across the skin. Our bodies have different layers of tissue, including skin, neural tissues, superficial and deep fascia. These tissues can sometimes become adhered together and no longer glide smoothly over one another. Gliding the cups across the skin is used to lift and separate the layers, easing the restriction caused by tissue adhesion. Other uses for cupping include:
- Increasing lymphatic flow
- Pain relief through induced secretion of endorphins
- Muscle relaxation
- Increasing range of motion
- Increasing circulation to injured areas
- Breaking down of scar tissue
Contact me and let me create an individualized plan to address your specific needs and enhance your overall wellbeing. Call us today at 403.229.0129 or email me here.
Cupping can be a useful tool in the treatment of a variety of conditions, such as tight or painful muscles, IT band syndrome, plantar fasciitis, tennis or golfer’s elbow and low back pain. Contact me today to see how cupping can help you!
Crystal Bartkowski
Athletic Therapy