Cupping is a technique used in conjunction with massage therapy, acupuncture and dry needling. Cupping pulls blood to a region to stimulate healing. It is effective at stretching tight fascia and muscles. Cupping helps the tissue develop new blood flow and stimulates the healing process.
Tissue can get knotted, tighten, and scarred, which can limit movement. The use of dry cupping, in likeness with manual massage therapy, can aid these effects by increasing blood supply to the muscle, fascia and skin and increasing pliability of soft tissue.
Dry Cupping pulls blood to an area and the tissue becomes saturated with fresh blood while the vacuum pulls stagnant blood out of the area.
A biproduct of this is round bruising appearance that is typically left behind. The mark may produce a black and blue appearance but it’s rarely painful.
As new blood is forced into the tissues around the cups the body will begin to develop new blood vessels called neovascularisation (new blood vessel formation). As the new vessels form, they will have the capability to feed the tissues with nutrient and oxygen.
Cupping can be beneficial to many muscular-skeletal condition such as; plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, sciatica, shin splints, general muscular tightness, back, neck and shoulder pain and many more.. .
Benefits of cupping:
• Increase in circulation to the muscle, fascia and skin, which increases oxygenation and nutrient levels within the soft tissue.
• Increases the removal of chemical irritants within muscle and fascia and the removal of stagnant blood.
• Increases the removal of oedema after injury.
• Produces a stretch reflex in fascia and connective tissue, which increases mobility at the joint.
• Cupping techniques that include active movement stimulate the nervous system and aid in re-educating muscle memory and proprioception.
• Aids in the management of pain, as cupping therapy reduces muscular tension, nerve compression and irritation through the build-up of chemical irritants, whilst increasing range of movement.
• Works well in conjunction with other therapy such as sports and remedial massage, joint mobilisations and Dry Needling, medical acupuncture, and heat therapy.
