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What is cupping?
Cupping is an ancient technique that utilizes vacuum suction on the skin to lift the tissues. Instead of pressing into the body the way traditional massage does, this "negative" air pressure lifts the skin as well as the layers of tissue below the skin. This lifting of the tissues allows gravity to gently pull down at the same time, thus facilitating the separation of tissues that have been "fused' together because of overuse, injuries, dehydration, etc. When tissues separate, it increases the flow of lymph and blood that may have been otherwise restricted, enabling the tissues to glide across each other as they should.
The history
As far back as 1550 B.C., an ancient Egyptian medical textbook called the "Ebers Papyrus" discusses the application of cups to help dispel fever, pain, constipation and facilitating the healing process.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has written records going back to 28 A.D. referencing the successful use of cupping for a variety of conditions including removal of stagnated blood and Chi, along with other pathogenic factors.
Cupping today
So while cupping has existed for thousands of years but here in the United States, many people first heard of cupping when they saw Olympic swimmers with the circular "cup kisses" on various parts of their bodies in the 2016 Olympic games.
Here at Absolute Relief Myofascial Release, we have been cupping clients since 2016. Through this work we have observed that, while cupping is not able to make the permanent, structural changes myofascial release can accomplish, it is still a very effective modality to reduce pain, increase range of motion and facilitate injury rehab.
Our cupping approach
Some people in this world believe therapy has to hurt in order to be effective. We counter with the logic that if something hurts, the client is likely to tense up during the treatment which can impede any intended positive results. Additionally, if a therapist inflicts micro tears into someone's body, that someone is going to develop micro scars which is an additional problem in itself. "No pain, no gain" makes no sense to us here at Absolute Relief.
Our cupping is a VERY GENTLE type of treatment. If you've had painful cupping in the past, we invite you to give our dynamic cupping style a try.
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