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
