Feb 18

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 

Remember that photo of Gwyneth Paltrow with her having circles on her back? Well, that was the result of cupping.

The traditional cupping method involves briefly heating the air in an inverted glass cup over your body. A vacuum occurs when the air cools after the cup is applied to your skin. Several cups can be used for approximately 5 to 30 minutes. The low pressure under the cup causes the tissues to expand and kind of puff up into the cup. This cupping action brings increased blood flow to areas of pain and also stretches soft tissue to loosen areas of congestion. Cupping is helpful in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain, such as back, neck, or shoulder pain.

What about those circles? Basically what happens is that as your circulation increases, the skin discolors and bruises and we know that some people bruise easier than others. Cupping may be a little uncomfortable for some people, but it is not painful.

Cupping has evolved and can now be done without the use of heat, although many prefer the classic method. Cups with elastic bulbs can be used to get the same vacuum effect. The bulbs attached to the cups are pumped until the skin has reached the necessary height inside the cup. This method is great for either the massage therapist or the client who is uncomfortable with the idea of fire heating the cups.

Now I realize that for some of you, this modality may sound and look different from what you are used to; however, if you get a chance to try it, do it. If you have already experienced cupping, let me know which method you received and the results.