cupping

Service Description

Cupping comes from Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine (TCHM) and can be used in both clinical and traditional ways. Suction from cups is applied to the body in order to draw stagnated or toxic, deoxygenated blood cells up to the surface and bring in fresh, revitalising blood to the area. Allowing better blood flow and increased circulation helps cellular renewal and regeneration of the tissue. The suction also helps smooth out stubborn areas of soft tissue by pulling the layers apart slightly to aid the release of knots or tight muscle fibres and/or fascia. It can also shift lymphatic fluid for decongesting Lymphatic nodes and pathways. Cupping stimulates the immune system and reduces inflammation overall. Cups can be applied static (left in place for a period of time) or used in a sliding motion along fascia lines. Vacuum cupping uses a pump applicator to create a specific level of suction from plastic cups, where as flame cupping is more traditional and uses the heat of an open flame to create vacuum pressure inside of glass cups. TCHM has a philosophy of heat, cold, damp and dry areas arising in the body due to an imbalance of yin (negative) or yang (positive) energies or blocks in its flow through the meridians or energy lines of the body. The cups are placed over these areas to release blockage and shift energy connected to different organs. According to this method the different types of marks it may or may not leave on the skin's surface can be used to identify or diagnose internal issues or the type of imbalance. These marks are called petechia (said pa- teek- ee- ay) and can come in all different types of colours, textures or densities depending on an individual and the extent of cupping. You may have seen athletes or other people with big purple circles all over their backs and thought "oh my how did they get those bruises!"... Although they can look like a painful bruise they are more likened to a hickey. They aren't tender or caused from tissue damage. It's just the damaged cells already present in the tissue being drawn to the skin's surface which allows your body to clean it up- in the same way a bruise has it's purpose for presence. There's no telling if you'll get any petechia showing from a cupping session but be prepared to have a mark or a few just incase you do. They naturally fade within a week or two however applying topical arnica can significantly speed up fading time.