Cupping Massage is an ancient treatment used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Through suction and negative pressure, massage cupping loosen muscles, scarring and adhesions, drains excess fluids and toxins, lift connective tissue and bring blood flow to stagnant skin and muscles, sedates the nervous system which makes it an excellent treatment for high blood pressure.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, stationary cups are placed on the skin and left for a period of five to fifteen minutes, and the cups may also be moved over the area to raise “sha” (reddish or raised area of the skin). In the TCM tradition, acute or chronic pain is often times caused by the stagnation of blood in the local area of discomfort. The guiding principle behind Cupping is that this technique has the ability to break up stagnation, promote the smooth flow of blood in the area, thereby relieving pain.
Cupping is one of the best deep-tissue therapies available. It is thought to affect tissues up to four inches deep from the external skin. Toxins can be released, blockages can be cleared, and veins and arteries can be refreshed within these four inches of affected materials. Even hands, wrists, legs, and ankles can be ‘cupped,' thus applying the healing to specific organs that correlate with these points.
Conditions that Respond to Vacuum Mobilization include:
- Athletic stress and injury
- Bursitis, Tendonitis and other inflammatory conditions
- Sluggish colon, IBS
- Stagnant lymph and edema
- Poor circulation
- Sciatica
- Insomnia and anxiety
- Poorly nourished skin and muscle tissue
- Lung inflammation and congestion
- Cellulite
- Toxicity
- Migraine and headaches
- High blood pressure
- Asthma and pneumonia
- Neuralgia and rheumatism
- Pre- and post-operative conditions
- TMJ dysfunction
- Diabetes
- Parkinson's disease
- Chronic pain
- Plantar fasciitis
- Fibromyalgia
Physiological Effects:
- Decrease or relieve pain and inflammation
- Release deep muscular issues
- Release and soften scar tissue
- Lift and stretch soft tissue
- Increased range of movement
- Open chest and lungs
- Improve circulation
- Drain lymph fluid, clear drainage pathways
- Sedate the nervous system
- Open energy flow of the body
- Dredging and clearing old residue (blood and solidified lymph from injuries, surgeries, and chronic movement patterns) out of the muscle and soft tissue -- "milking the tissue"