Cupping is having a moment, with athletes and actors proudly sporting their red round marks, but it also has a rich history spanning millennia and continents.
In China, applications for cupping therapy are wide, and varied–from muscular skeletal injury, to stress reduction, accomplished by kicking the parasympathetic nervous system into gear. Much like acupuncture, and Tuina (Chinese body work), cupping therapy benefits both from current research , and a base of recorded lived experience. Data has been collected through daily life, trial and error, recorded and tweaked day to day, year to year, one generation to the next for (as far as we know) three millennia or so.
What can be found by digging into that immense treasure chest of history? In short, so many gems. There’s so much there to explore, but to avoid bombardment in this short blog post, we’ll focus, at least for now, on one aspect of cupping: myofascial decompression.
Supraspinatus, erector spinae, and Latissimus dorsi. These are not spells muttered by Harry Potter, but a few of the power-house muscles of our back and shoulders. They also happen to be where cups are often placed in traditional treatments. By creating negative pressure with heated glass, or silicon cups, sore muscles as well as the web-like fascia that surrounds them are decompressed; given air to breath. The dermis is lifted, circulation increases, and lactic acid (which builds up in muscles to cause soreness) can be reduced.
Cupping can be soothing, stimulating, or feel like a much needed release. If you’re longing for a deeper dive into the world of cupping therapy, see our sources and recommended reading below. If you want to try cupping, our only tip is to see a professional. Many registered acupuncturists (RACs) practice cupping therapy, and can advise whether treatment makes sense for you.
Stay warm, and happy cupping!
References.
http://www.itmonline.org/arts/cupping.htm
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095754814000040
http://time.com/4443581/michael-phelps-cupping-olympics/
(https://cuppingresource.com/history-of-cupping/)
Recommended reading:
Traditional Chinese Medicine Cupping Therapy – Ilkay Chirali
Holistic Health Care. College and Bathurst. Wellness Clinic. Integrative Medicine. Pain relief. Stress Reduction