Myofascial
Dry Cupping
Dry Cupping is a technique that can be used alongside Massage Therapy - placing plastic or silicone cups onto an area of skin and creating a vacuum to increase blood circulation, oxygen supply to the affected area and helping to reduce tension.
Myofascial Dry Cupping
Cupping Therapy - whilst it has been used in parts of the world such as Egypt, China, Middle East and Asia for thousands of years (first seen in Egypt in 1500BC!) - its increase in popularity has most likely been due to the increasing multi-national population of the west plus trends popularised by various Celebrities and Athletes.
If you've ever been watching sports events - especially the swimmers in the Olympics - you may of noticed some with dry cupping marks on their body.
Dry Cupping is a type of therapy that involves placing specialised cups on the skin and then creating a vacuum suction inside the cup to draw blood supply to the surface.
As your muscle tissues are essentially being lifted upwards, cupping therapy can help to reduce tension within the muscles as well as treating muscle scarring.
This suction is thought to improve the flow of energy in the body and facilitate healing by increasing blood flow and oxygen to the tissues; By increasing flow to the blood vessels the therapy is also used to improve circulation. By boosting blood flow to areas, oxygen supply is increased.
The application of cups can be used for a variety of conditions, for example -
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Muscle pain and tension
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Back & Neck pain, Sciatica
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Aid recovery
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Headaches
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Improve Digestive Function
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Help reduce Stress and Anxiety
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Help re-align the body's natural energy - improving energy levels.
Dry cupping can help aid soft tissue injuries and reduce pain or discomfort by -
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increasing localised circulation
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increasing oxygenation and nutrient content within the tissue.
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removing stagnant blood and waste products
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re-initiating the healing process to micro trauma
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stretches fascia and connective tissue, which leads to a relaxation response.
How is Dry Cupping used in a Massage session?
If Dry Cupping has been recommended & discussed as being beneficial we will include this in a massage session with your consent.
The treatment is started with massage to the area of focus to warm up the skin & muscle tissues, apply the massage medium (oil/wax balm/cream) and then the cups will be placed as required onto the skin. You may feel a suction sensation and pressure as the cups are placed - If you feel uncomfortable or too much vacuum pressure is being used then this will be altered for your comfort.
The cups can then be either left in place for a few minutes or moved around with the aid of massage oils to help them slide to offer a dynamic massage treatment (providing an effect similar to deep tissue massage).
Mobilisation of certain areas can also be carried out whilst the cups are in place which is great for producing quicker stretch responses and range of movement.
What about the Marks left on the skin?
You may be left with red/brown coloured markings on your skin where the cups had been placed. These marks represent the blood supply being pulled into the area and shouldn't be painful.
They may last anytime from a day to 10 days (average within 7 days) - With subsequent treatments, the markings will usually decrease and clear up quicker.
Please note - This is NOT 'Wet Cupping' (Hijama) where the skin is broken, and no heat is used.