Have you ever been watching sport on TV and seen an athlete walk out with circular bruise like marks on their body?
Well that would be a sign that they have had some myofascial dry cupping treatment!
Dry Cupping involves plastic cups being placed on the treatment area with a suction using a hand held vacuum pump.
They can be applied in a number of different ways, including:
Static – cups are applied and left on for a set amount of time
Sliding – a small amount of suction will be used allowing the therapist to move and slide the cups along the area being treated
Walking – 2-3 cups are continuously applied and removed across the area being treated
Active Movement – the cups are applied statically and you then go through a range of movements
Soft Tissue Release – similar to sliding, the cups are moved while you go through a range of movements
Stretching – stretches are carried out while the cups are applied statically to the area you are stretching
There are a number of benefits to using dry cupping as a treatment method:
Increase blood flow
Increases oxygen and nutrients to the area
Removes stagnant blood
Helps reduce swelling
Stimulates the healing process
Helps manage pain
Reduces muscle tension and improves flexibility
Stimulate the nervous system
Remember those circular marks that you’ve seen on athletes, they are marks left from the suction of the cups. They have a hickey like appearance and can be a range of colours lasting anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks! There’s no reason to be alarmed, you may find it’s a bit tender, similar to after you’ve had a sports massage, but it does not last! The difference in colour can tell us more about your injury, as demonstrated by the image below:
Image: demonstrating cupping marks via Thomson Chinese Medicine
Interested in trying cupping?
Contact us to book your appointment on 0117 329 2090 or email info@toptotoephysiotherapy.co.uk
By Amy Shephard
September 2022