Cupping Therapy FAQs

Hey y’all, it’s been a few months offering Cupping Therapy at Heart & Hands and I have collected a number of frequently-asked-questions that keep coming up for people who are interested in trying it for the first time.
For more information as well as my bio, visit our Cupping Therapy page. I look forward to meeting some new faces and letting folks experience the benefits and pain relief that Cupping can offer!
When is it offered?
Cupping Therapy is available WEDNESDAYS 3:00 – 8:00pm and FRIDAYS 3:45 – 7:30pm.
What is cupping and where does it come from?
Cupping is a therapeutic technique based on applying negative pressure (suction) to gently manipulate soft tissues in the body, specifically muscles and the connective tissue (Fascia) that surround them. It can be helpful to think of it as a “massage-in-reverse” where suction is used to apply forces of tension, compared to the compression applied in massage and acupressure.
Cupping as a therapeutic modality is very old and has been practiced, and seemingly independently discovered, by disparate groups of people throughout the world. The oldest written account of its therapeutic use comes from a more than 3500 year old treatise on ancient Egyptian medicine known as the “Ebers papyrus”. Other ancient proponents of the practice include famous Greek writers like Hippocrates and Herodotus, the Arabic prophet Muhammad, and of course the classical scholars of Chinese medicine.
What conditions do you treat with cupping at Heart & Hands?
Mostly pain, cupping is most effective at relieving pain originating in the soft tissues (myofascial pain), but is still helpful for the management of pain stemming from joints (arthritis/arthralgia) and in some cases of pain without a clear cause (idiopathic). On a personal note, I have found cupping a helpful adjuvant to medication and exercise for treating my asthma and relaxing my secondary breathing muscles.
Common conditions treated:
- Tension headaches
- Lower back pain
- Shoulder and neck pain
- Osteoarthritis (of the knee, hip, shoulder, etc)
- Fibromyalgia
- Sciatica
- Tennis elbow
- Shin splints
- Lymphatic drainage issues
- Pelvic alignment
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Hip tension & pain
- Asthma
- Edema
- If you’re wondering if Cupping can treat your particular condition,
contact us
Does cupping hurt?
It can, but pretty rarely with the version we practice.
At Heart & Hands we use silicone cups to create the suction. We have previously used glass cups with fire, but they take more effort to use and don’t allow for as much control over the pressure exerted. When you create suction with fire, it is very all or nothing. So if you want maximum suction all the time it’s great, but lots of folks need less suction in order to relax and derive full therapeutic benefit from the treatment.
Using less suction and making sure to properly lubricate the skin before moving the cups (slide cupping) generally makes for a low-pain to no-pain experience.
Are there any contraindications?
Yes!
Cupping should not be performed over: burns and other large or recent injuries to the skin, varicose veins or any sensitive major blood vessel (such as those on the inner thigh), and on infected body parts like abscesses. Rashes are usually avoided, although it can be okay for folks with eczema depending on the severity. Cupping over the abdomen is generally avoided because of the small chance of a hernia from excessive suction. Folks with clotting disorders like Deep-vein Thrombosis should avoid cupping unless cleared with their primary care provider.
Folks who are taking blood thinners or who bruise very easily, we recommend our Community Acupuncture service, which is less invasive. But if interested can still try with less suction.
PREGNANCY: Pregnant people can still get cupping, just not on the lower back or abdomen areas. Stiff necks, shoulders, upper backs and limbs are usually fine.
Are there any side effects?
Only one common one: cupping marks.
After a cupping session there will usually be hickey-style discoloration over the treated areas. Darker shades of marks are traditionally thought to indicate more “stasis” or impairments in the smooth flow of blood to and from the tissues it nourishes. These marks usually fade in a few days, but may occasionally last up to several weeks.
How frequently should I get treatment?
Depends on the issue and what else you’re doing for it. As a general rule, cupping pairs well other manual therapies like massage and acupuncture. They pair together so well in fact that I frequently incorporate acupuncture and massage into my cupping sessions. If cupping is the only form of manual therapy employed for your issue, than once a week tends to be optimal. If you’re also receiving acupuncture or other therapies as well, then less frequently is okay and once every 2-3 weeks with your other treatments in between can spread the appointments out as needed to maximize the benefits.
Can I exercise soon after my treatments?
For gentle or low-impact exercise, yes almost always. I have previously had success with an older patient who used cupping as a way to “limber up” before attending an aquafit class later that day. For more strenuous exercise like heavy weightlifting or high-impact sports, it is better to wait at least a day or two after the treatment. This is even more important for those recovering from an injury. Cupping, like acupuncture, may relieve pain and lead someone to overexertion too soon causing reinjury. To avoid this: keep it gentle or work out another non-injured part of the body.