You’ve probably seen photos of people with round red marks on their back before. This is what happens when someone has received cupping therapy. Curious about cupping? We were too, so we took a dive into finding out what it is all about.
What exactly is cupping therapy? It involves placing heated cups on the skin, which creates a strong suction. This suction draws the skin and underlying tissue up into the cup, promoting blood flow and helping to release muscle tension.
Cupping has been used in different cultures for thousands of years to treat a variety of conditions, but it is particularly effective for relieving back and neck pain.
Here are 3 surprising benefits to cupping you should know about when considering cupping as an alternative treatment option:
1) Lasting Pain Relief
While it is sometimes used as a cosmetic treatment, cupping does really well on physical pains of the musculoskeletal system. Yes, it’s incredibly strange, but there is no denying that people do experience pain relief after cupping. Those who suffer from back or neck pain report that their aches are relieved by it.
Why does cupping work according to science? Because it’s a manual therapy that creates blood flow. Blood is a major detoxifier of the body (besides the liver). It carries away what is toxic in the tissues and replenishes them with fresh oxygen and nutrients.
When you manually manipulate soft tissue, you are always going to stimulate blood flow. Manual movements can loosen muscles, creating more space for lubrication in the joints as well.
The body’s systems are all connected, so manual adjustments affect the circulatory system, which directly affects the musculoskeletal system. Cupping uses and affects these systems at once, getting them communicating and working together to bring healing and pain relief.
2) It can work on any soft tissue injury
Cupping is fairly innocuous. It won’t create more harm to a soft tissue injury, so it can be used for just about anything— whether you have torn ligaments, tension, or muscle strain. Trying it out can’t make an injury worse, but it may enhance your recovery.
Is your pain acute or chronic? Acute inflammation can trigger increased inflammation downstream, leading to greater discomfort. Cupping is a great tool for either of these cases because it’s not going to trigger downstream inflammation and can be a safe option to have in your recovery arsenal, regardless of what stage you are at.
3) It can help with postural imbalances
Chronic pain is often related to chronic positions and repetitive motion within our joints or muscles. We do the same motions over and over, often 5 days a week, and our muscles can “crystallize” into compensatory positions (like hunched shoulders and a rounded back).
Back pain and neck pain are insidious results of long hours in front of computers. Computer time increases the amount of time spent hunched over by as much as eight hours per day. Cupping therapy can be immensely beneficial for these types of postural issues.
Because chronic postural positions relate to soft tissue, bringing heat and suction from cupping therapy to specific parts of the body can increase movement and blood flow to targeted areas. It can essentially affect change in the soft tissues that need it.
It’s important to assess daily habits of hunching (or whatever repetitive movement you do for work). The body gives feedback via pain signals—it’s trying to protect nerves and stay in balance, but these habits can ultimately cause the back, neck, and head pains that plague us.
If chronic pain comes from chronic overuse, wouldn’t you need consistent treatment to retrain the musculoskeletal system into new postural possibilities?
Normally, we can’t see a cupping practitioner every day. So how do we create daily habits that change chronic postural issues and therefore chronic pain conditions?
You’re in luck—we developed a device that makes cupping accessible for daily use: the REVO™ Cupping Massager.
This fascinating device can be used in the comfort of your own home. It’s derived from traditional cupping, enhanced with modern technology to maximize benefits.
The REVO™ Cupping Massager is flame-free and safe to use without professional help. It has “breathing” technology that suctions and releases rhythmically—similar to a massage effect. It is also equipped with red and near-infrared light designed to penetrate deeper layers of skin and tissues.
There are heating options reaching up to 122°F to warm targeted areas, plus adjustable suction levels (which traditional cupping doesn’t include). You can also add essential oils to your skin while using it, allowing you to glide the cupper across skin for a broader boost of blood flow.
Summary
There are many surprising benefits of cupping therapy for modern lifestyles: pain relief, improved blood flow, increased mobility, enhanced recovery, and support for postural change. It’s fairly innocuous, and can now be done safely at home with the technology of the REVO™ Cupper.
Also check out: How Cupping Can Help You Get Rid of Cellulite
