Cupping Therapy

Is cupping therapy worth the effort?

If you've not heard of cupping therapy, don't worry you're not alone. More talked about in health circles now than it has been for years, it's very much an ancient treatment, dating back to ancient Egyptian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern cultures. It's a treatment in which there are special cups on your skin for a few minutes to create suction. It helps to treat pain, blood flow and inflammation, and is great for relaxation and well-being, as well as being a type of deep-tissue massage.

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What is cupping therapy?

Cupping therapy is one of the oldest and most effective methods of releasing the toxins from body tissue and organs. It is a practice in which the therapist puts special cups on the skin to create suction. This causes the tissue beneath the cup to be drawn up and swell causing increase in blood flow to the affected area. The enhanced blood flow under the cups draws impurities and toxins away from the nearby tissues and organs towards the surface for elimination.

Cupping techniques and styles have often been influenced by their geographical location, as well as by the materials used in that area: animal horns, bamboo, ceramic, glass, metal, and plastic have all been used in this procedure found in Ancient Egyptian, Chinese, Unani, Korean, Tibetan, and Latin American culture. A cup refers to the Egyptian glyph for doctor. According to Ge Hong (281-341 CE), animal horns were used to drain body fluids in Asia during the Jin dynasty. Additionally, it was popular during the Greek Bronze era, when bronze cups were used.

Cupping Therapy induces negative pressure, rather than forced tissue compression. The suction inside the cup rapidly facilitates rigid soft tissue release by stretching it away from underlying structures, which loosens areas of adhesions and restrictions. It then increases blood and lymph flow to skin and muscles in ways not possible using compression.

As defined by the Alternative Medicine Association, alternative medicine refers to practices that are unproven, disproven, impossible to prove, or excessively harmful relative to their effects. Since Chinese medicinal researchers focus on observable principles of balance examined in living bodies, their traditional medicine practices are considered “alternative” by the dominant medical systems, despite having been practised for centuries in cultures and countries around the world. It is treated with suspicion by some elements of the health industry. Although successfully practised for generations it hasn't crossed into 'mainstream' medicine.

Different cups

There are a number of different cupping techniques and some use different cups to others. The most common are glass, plastic and silicone cups but there are others.

• Glass cups

• Plastic cups

• Silicone cups

• Bamboo / wooden cups

• Horn / suction cups

• Nabhi pump

Techniques

• Dry cupping : The cups are placed on the skin and the air inside is then suctioned out. This is a very common technique.

• Wet cupping / Bleeding : Not for everyone, this technique involves leaving the cups on the skin for around 3 minutes, removing them and then tiny cuts are made, followed by further suction to remove a small amount of blood.

• Oil cupping / Sliding cupping : Cups are attached to the body, massage oil applied and the cups slide across the area being treated.

• Flash cupping / Empty cupping : This is where the cups are applied really quickly and left on the skin for minimal time. It aims to stimulate circulation over a broader area.

Different types of treatments

There are many different types of cupping, but here we'll just look at those most relevant to runners

Massage Cupping

Cupping can be combined or used as a supplement to traditional massage sessions, including deep tissue massage, the best massage for runners. The traditional application involves inserting a flame into a glass cup to heat the air and create a vacuum, whereas the manual vacuum cups employ a hand pump. A cup is positioned at the area to be treated and, depending on the type of cups being used; a vacuum is created within the cup to draw the skin and underlying tissue into the cup. The produced vacuum creates a suction effect that increases blood and lymphatic circulation systemically and to the local area, relaxes muscle tissue and support, draws stagnation, pathogenic factors, and toxins out of the body, and releases a myriad of pain-causing factors. The intended suction can range from light to heavy. The level of suction combined with the movements performed and areas treated by the therapist will produce stimulating (toning) or sedating (draining) effects.

Trigger Points

A Trigger Point is a hyperirritable spot, a palpable twisted knot in the taut bands of the skeletal muscles’ fascia that are very sensitive to palpation and feel like tough, dense knots along the muscle.Trigger points develop as a result of muscular injuries, strains, and trauma. When muscle fibers, fascia, ligaments, or tendons become weakened, overstretched, or inflamed as often happens with prolonged running, tiny tears in the associated soft tissue can occur. As the tissue heals it contracts and restricts fresh blood supply needed by the muscle cells. In addition, there is often a shortening of the muscle fiber to protect itself from further injury. Gentle Cupping techniques easily decompact and unwind these bound up bundles of Fascia surrounding the nerves and muscles, solving the discomfort of force that traditional Trigger Point therapy creates.

Sports Cupping

Besides maintenance, injuries and recovery, trainers use suction to draw toxins from the swimmers for example, that have been absorbing the chemicals from the pools that they are in for many hours every day. Dead cellular debris, poisons, stagnation and excess fluids are drawn to the surface and sometimes leave deposits which the circulatory and lymphatic systems can most effectively drain it away. Athletes from many different sports are now using decompression techniques for pre, intra and post event sessions and full on recovery from injuries. Cumulative Cupping treatments increase muscle endurance, circulation, lung capacity, lymphatic drainage and health maintenance during strenuous activities.

Lymphatic Drainage

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) stimulates the body systems and enhances the regenerative healing process inherent to all well functioning biosystems. It treats fluid retention and redirects cellular by-products back into the circulatory systems to be effectively flushed out of the body. Therapists that do Lymphatic Drainage know how difficult and time consuming this system is to treat with compression. Cupping does the opposite. It stretches open, rather than closing the lymphatic vessels. When moving through the watershed fluid is pulled along the opened passages. These actions dramatically increase the movement of lymph locally and systemically with cumulative treatments. Increasing Lymphatic output increases the immune system’s ability to detoxify the body and respond to stressors put onto it by disease, chemicals, stress, and electromagnetic fields. Cupping provides the perfect solution to traditional MLD, speeding up treatment time.

Benefits of cupping

According to the International Cupping Therapy Association based in the US, the benefits of cupping therapy are:.

• Deep tissue work and release without the discomfort of force.

• Moves stagnation and drains fluids

• Reduces inflammation

• Nervous system sedation

• Breaks up and expels congestion systemically

• Stretches muscle and connective tissues

• Releases adhesions

• Pulls blood supply to the skin

• Facilitates the movement of vital energy and blood, systemically and locally.

• Dispels wind, damp and cold to treat muscle and joint pain, stiffness and arthritis.

• Treats excess heat conditions, fever, stress, depression and anxiety.

• Strengthens the immune system by promoting the flow of lymphatic fluid.

• Cleans the blood and lymph and helps to balance PH levels.

Final thoughts

Many athletes swear by the benefits of cupping and many recreational runners use it periodically in the same way they would use a sports massage. Its status as an 'alternative medicine' has hampered its acceptance as a mainstream treatment for runner ailments and many physiotherapists haven't qualified as a therapist. It's definitely worth investigating further and one session will certainly give you an idea if it's for you. We'd love to get your feedback below.