NEED HELP FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT? LEARN HOW CUPPING THERAPY CAN BE THE ANSWER

Are you looking for a natural medicine for pain management and increase your sport performance? Learn why you should consider to try Cupping therapy!

HOW CUPPING THERAPY CAN PROMOTE HEALING AND PAIN RELIEF?

Cupping therapy might be trendy now, but it’s not new. Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine that has its roots in Traditional Chinese medicine and that was also used by ancient Greeks, Egyptian and middle Eastern cultures.

In our modern world it is a therapy widely used by professional athletes. If you watched the Olympics over the last years, you may have noticed some of the athletes – including Michael Phelps – sporting some interesting bruising patterns caused by cupping therapy.

Michael-phelps-with-cupping-therapy-marks

Those dark red spots dotting Olympians’ shoulders and backs are not cigar burns. They’re not perfectly circular hickeys either.

HOW IT IS PERFORMED

Cupping therapy consists of applying round suction cups on sore parts of the body. The placement of the cup creates a partial vacuum, that draws the skin and layers of muscle into the cup and stimulates muscles and blood flow, while relieving pain.

It is believed that the suction allows to break up muscle knots and bruising that's not visible, besides opening pores and circulation, thus helping to clear lactic acid and toxins. The cups may be kept still or gently moved across the skin to loosen restricted muscles, increase circulation and draw out toxins.

There are different kinds of cupping, including:

Wet cupping: Creating small cuts in the skin
Fire cupping: Using fire to heat the cup and create a vacuum before placing the cup onto the skin
Dry cupping, which is what we offer at A to Zen therapies. Dry cupping which is very safe and beneficial for a wide variety of conditions. in which a therapist puts special cups on your skin for a few minutes to create suction. People get it for many purposes, including to help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, relaxation and well-being, and as a type of deep-tissue massage.

IS CUPPING THERAPY PAINFUL?

A cupping therapy session may cause a little discomfort, very similar to the intense feeling experienced when receiving a deep tissue massage to an area that has become restricted or sore.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN BENEFITS OF CUPPING THERAPY?

The research about the effect of cupping therapy is quite limited. Even tough there are some studies that suggest how cupping therapy may be very beneficial for pain management in conditions such as back pain, headaches, menstrual cramps.

In clinical studies, patients with neck and shoulder pain experienced a 61% decrease in pain after receiving dry cupping therapy!

The effectiveness of cupping therapy may seem increased when combined with other therapy techniques such as Sports and Deep Tissue Massage, as the lifting effect provided from the cups works synergistically with the downward pressure application of manual massage. It also work wonderfully in conjunction with Acupuncture.

Cupping therapy may be beneficial for those suffering from acne and herpes zoster as it boosts circulation and clears toxins out of the body quickly and effectively. Cupping therapy may also be a great alternative treatment for people who are allergic or tolerate badly anti-inflammatory drugs, as relief from cupping therapy can be pretty quick, leaving you feeling looser and more energised.

According to the British Cupping Society, cupping therapy can be used to treat conditions such as:

blood disorders like anemia, haemophilia, high blood pressure
Psychological problems such as anxiety and depression
Bronchial congestion due to asthma and allergies
Fertility and menstrual disorders such as PCOS
Arthritis and fibromyalgia
Migraines

IS CUPPING DANGEROUS?

Cupping is generally safe, but it isn’t for everyone, though. People who take blood thinners or corticosteroid, or have thin, delicate skin or a bleeding disorder, should choose another form of alternative treatment for pain relief as cupping therapy may put them at risk of skin damage.

Some of the most commons side effects from cupping therapy may be But you could have these side effects in the area where the cups touch your skin:

A little discomfort (similar to soreness after a deep tissue massage)
Cupping marks and bruises, which usually fade after two to four days
Skin infection, if the cups were not sterilised properly

WHAT SHALL YOU DO AFTER A CUPPING THERAPY SESSION?

For the best results, we always advice to keep the cupping marks covered for the first 24 hours as the pores remain open after the session and there is more chance for infection. As for any therapy treatment, we encourage to avoid alcohol for the first 24 hours to not overload the system and help the liver and surface circulation to deal with toxins that were brought to the surface. While we suggest to drink plenty of water as this helps to flush toxins out of your body, enhancing the purifying effect of cupping therapy.