Cupping Therapy and Your Fascia
Cupping therapy, although relatively unknown in the Western world until recently, has become an extremely popular treatment method. Massage therapists often use cupping alongside other types of massage therapy or modalities. Below, we look at the area of the body cupping acts on—the fascia—and how it works.
What Is Fascia?
Although many people know the basics about their internal organs and muscles, there is one part of the body that is often overlooked in biology class: the fascia. For massage therapists, the fascia is essential and a focus of much of their work. Fascia is a network of connective tissue that surrounds the organs, muscles, bones, and nerves. It is often described as the connective threads of a sweater, pulling together different parts of the body and allowing easy movement.
The fascia consists of sheets of connective tissue. These sheets are healthy when smooth, but they can become knotted and tense when injured. Massage therapists use a variety of techniques to help restore the fascia and break down knots and tension. One of the most effective and targeted methods to treat the fascia is cupping therapy.
How Cupping Promotes Healing in the Fascia
Cupping is an ancient technique used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Cupping applies direct, sustained pressure to the skin, fascia, and muscles using the power of suction. Unlike massage, cupping uses negative pressure—a pulling movement rather than pushing—to achieve several effects at once, including:
- Improving blood flow to an area
- Breaking up scar tissue
- Reducing muscle tension
- Stretching the muscles and fascia
- Increasing range of motion in the joints
Cupping can be used all over the body. For example, the plantar fascia in the foot, which can become tight and cause plantar fasciitis, can be treated with cupping. It is also used on the legs, back, neck, shoulders, arms, and even the face.
Cupping treatment is often included during a massage therapy session as part of the overall plan. Your massage therapist may recommend cupping if you have particular areas of discomfort or specific regions of tight fascia or muscles that need to be released.
Types of Cupping
Types of Cups
Several special-purpose cups can be used. The two most common are glass cups (also known as fire glass cups) and rubber or silicone cups (also known as hijama cups or pump cups). For glass cups, the inside air is heated with a small flame, then the cup is placed on the skin. As the air cools and contracts, suction is created. Silicone cups are squeezed and placed on the skin to displace air and create suction. There are also hard plastic cups that use a pump gun to create a vacuum and decompress tissue adhesions.
Dry Cupping and Wet Cupping
Most cupping done in modern massage therapy clinics is dry cupping. Dry cupping involves placing glass or plastic cups over the skin and suctioning the air from the cups. Wet cupping involves puncturing the skin before placing the cup to draw out blood. At Urban Massage & Wellness, our therapists only provide dry cupping for safety and hygiene.
In dry cupping, cups are often left on the skin for several minutes to allow the suction to affect the tissues below. Mild discomfort can occur, similar to massage therapy, but the cups should not be painful. If they are, alert your therapist.
Running Cupping
Running cupping involves moving suctioned cups along the skin and fascia to massage a larger area. Once the cups are in position, your therapist may glide them without releasing suction to achieve this effect.
Flash Cupping
Flash cupping involves the quick suction and release of cups on an area. Your therapist may use this technique to rapidly loosen fascia and muscles, stimulate blood flow, or quickly reduce pain.
Who Should Have Cupping Therapy
Cupping therapy can be a highly effective way to treat the fascial system for tension, pain, and other issues. In many cases, problems in the fascia cause issues elsewhere. Think of fascia like a sweater with interwoven threads. Pulling one thread tight can affect other areas of the sweater.
Some of the injuries and conditions that can be helped through cupping therapy include:
- Various types of acute or chronic pain, including knee pain, back pain, neck pain, and shoulder pain
- Arthritis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other gastrointestinal disorders
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Asthma
- Plantar fasciitis
Side Effects of Cupping
Cupping often results in what appears to be bruising of the skin. If you have seen perfectly round, purple-ish discolouration around someone’s neck or shoulders, you have likely seen post-cupping marks. This discolouration occurs as blood capillaries come to the surface of the skin along with lactic acid and metabolic waste, and not due to broken blood vessels like a typical bruise. The discolouration is harmless and typically not painful. Because of this effect, people with blood disorders or certain medical conditions may not be good candidates for cupping. Share any medical conditions with your therapist before treatment.
Book Cupping Therapy in St. Albert
If you suffer from chronic or acute pain, cupping may be an excellent option for you. We recommend booking an appointment with one of our registered massage therapists to discuss the benefits and risks of cupping and see if it is a good fit for your plan. Our goal is always an integrative approach that promotes healing across your body.
