by Nina Dropcho
Cupping
therapy, or just “cupping”, is an ancient medicinal technique used to treat
many different health conditions, and to promote health, in general. Cupping
decompresses tissues and opens channels.
Qi.
In
Far Eastern cultures, medical practitioners use cupping to move stagnant qi. Qi
is a holistic term for the body’s energies.
All energies of the body are interrelated and inseparable. If one of the
body’s systems is compromised, then others will also be compromised. For
example, reduced blood flow can produce tightness in muscles, or inhibit mental
skills like alertness and memory.
Cupping,
therefore, promotes balanced qi, affecting all of the body’s systems and
functions.
Western qi.
To
“break it down” in Western medicine terms…
Some of the main benefits of cupping include:
·
Improves
circulation, delivering fresh oxygen and blood to the tissues.
·
Opens
lymph vessels, boosting the flow of lymph and enhancing immune function
·
Raises
metabolism, optimizes digestion, detoxifies
·
Promotes
respiratory healing, invigorating the lungs
·
Stimulates
nerve transmission by taking pressure off nerves
·
Replenishes
connective tissue, easing restrictions and adhesions
Ultimately,
cupping makes you feel ENERGIZED, but
also relaxed, as your body finds balance and optimal conditioning!
Cupping application.
To
decompress an area, cups are applied to the skin with suction. The suction
draws a small amount of tissues up into the cup. The therapist will either
leave the cups sitting on an area for a few minutes, or they will move them
around. Each treatment is different, based on the client’s needs.
Leaving
cups to sit on an area is called static, or Stationary Cupping, or Vacuum
Therapy. Moving the cups around is called Dynamic Cupping. It is also called
Gliding, Running, or Massage Cupping. The stationary style is often intense,
applied for a specific effect, while the moving style is more diffuse and
produces more generalized effects.
 |
| Stationary Cupping: cups on a runner's sore leg, relief for calf, heel, IT Band |
At
Balanced Boulder Massage & Cupping, I call the gliding style “Massage
Cupping”. It can be added to a massage or done as its own treatment. As its
name implies, gliding the cups around can be very relaxing, or even sedating.
The cups are moved in flowing, massage-like strokes.
Massage
Cupping can have milder effects, so it might be used when a client is too
sensitive for stationary cupping. If you have recently had an illness or a
traumatic event, or you have finished an intense course of detoxification, then
massage cupping might be more appropriate than stationary cupping.
Focus Cupping,
V’Acupuncture.
Cups
can also be placed or moved to focus on specific pathways, much like the way
that
>
Acupuncture stimulates meridians,
>
Thai medicine empowers sen lines, or
>
Reflexology arouses points along energy channels.
At
Balanced Boulder Massage & Cupping, this style of cupping is called Focus
Cupping, or “V’Acupuncture”. Some of these treatments include:
*Detox
Cupping, *Cupping for Athletes: Cyclists, Runners, *Weight Loss & Toning
Cupping, *Facial cup-lift and *Cupping for Musicians (see picture, below).
 |
| Cupping therapy to relieve a musician's upper back, shoulder soreness |
A
Focus/V’Acupuncture treatment is not like a massage. It may take as little as
20 minutes, or up to 60 minutes. Due to the focused intensity, it is not
recommended that you receive multiple V’Acupuncture treatments in one session.
For
a longer session, schedule yourself a “Balanced
Blend” treatment with a combination of 1) V’Acupuncture and Massage Cupping
OR 2) V’Acupuncture and regular Massage.
Call 970-948-0179
to schedule your cupping treatment!
