Cupping Therapy has been used by health practitioners since ancient times. The Greeks, Egyptians and Chinese all practiced forms of cupping 3000 years ago. It was believed that cupping could suck ill “tumors” or spirits from the body and was practiced alongside blood-letting and the use of leeches in the medieval period and in Colonial America. Although its use is greatly declined in modern times, it has seen a recent resurgence as famous athletes, such as swimmer Michael Phelps and Dallas Cowboy’s Pass Rusher, DeMarcus Ware, have used it to treat musculoskeletal conditions.
There are many types of cupping (wet, fire and dry cupping), but at Bodywise Bali we only use dry cupping. Dry Cupping is done by applying plastic suction cups to the skin that is either dry or to which lotion has been applied. The lotion allows the therapist glide the suction cup over the affected area providing a form of deep tissue massage. The suction is achieved by putting a small, manually-operated suction pump on a valve which is attached to each suction cup. The therapist can control the amount of suction used. Multiple cups can be applied at one time to a painful or stiff area and are left on the skin anywhere from 5-20 minutes.
When the cups are removed, the skin treated will have red circular areas that correspond to the diameter of the cup. This is the residual effect of the treatment – these red areas are temporary and will subside quickly over 2 or 3 days.
The benefits:
- pain and inflammation reduction
- sedation of the nervous system
- increase of circulation
- softening of adhesions and stiff connective tissue
- drainage of toxins and waste from the lymphatic system
- and the ability to impact deeper, more hard-to-reach muscles and other soft tissues.
You can add dry cupping (static or dynamic) for an extra 15 mins after a massage session.