What is Cupping Therapy?

If you've ever noticed circular marks on athletes or celebrities and wondered what they were, chances are you were looking at the distinctive marks left by cupping therapy. While cupping has gained modern popularity in recent years, it's actually an ancient healing practice that has been used across Traditional Chinese Medicine, Middle Eastern medicine, and various other healing traditions for thousands of years.

Cupping therapy is a form of bodywork that uses suction cups placed on the skin to create negative pressure, drawing blood and lymph to the surface, releasing muscle tension, and promoting healing. It's a powerful treatment for pain, tension, respiratory issues, and various other conditions.

How Cupping Works

Cupping therapy involves placing special cups on your skin and creating suction, either through heat (fire cupping) or mechanical pumps. This suction draws your skin and superficial muscle layer into the cup, creating negative pressure that has several therapeutic effects:

Increases blood circulation to the treated area, bringing fresh oxygen and nutrients while removing metabolic waste products.

Draws stagnant blood and lymph to the surface, helping to clear congestion and inflammation from deeper tissues.

Releases fascial restrictions, the connective tissue that surrounds muscles and can become tight and stuck, causing pain and limited movement.

Stimulates the nervous system, triggering the body's natural healing response and pain-relieving mechanisms.

Promotes lymphatic drainage, supporting your body's detoxification and immune function.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, cupping is understood as moving stagnant Qi and Blood, clearing blockages in the meridians (energy pathways), and expelling pathogenic factors like Cold, Damp, and Wind that cause illness and pain.