If you’ve recently had an injury, been to a massage therapist, or simply follow fitness trends, then you may have heard of Cupping Therapy. It’s a form of alternative medicine that has been around for several centuries. And it’s gaining influence in North America – and not just limited to athletes and fitness gurus.
Cupping is non-invasive and easy to apply with the right education. It can be used in combination with deep-tissue massage to help reduce the pain and inflammation that comes with new or chronic injuries, improve circulation and blood flow, and assist in relaxing tense muscles.
How does it work? More common treatments, like massage therapy and foam rolling, affect the body’s soft tissues through compression. This means adding a load onto the tissue and compressing layers of tissue together. When applied appropriately, this can be done in a way that pulls different layers of tissue in different directions, separating them, allowing them to move more independently, breaking down areas that are stuck together (called adhesions), and opening up channels for fluids to move more easily.
Cupping Therapy works in a different way through soft tissue decompression – often called ‘Myofacial Decompression.’ This means that Cupping unloads and lifts soft tissue layers up and away from one another through a small vacuum-like suction created within each cup. This can be an exceptionally comfortable alternative to compression therapies – especially over a painful area – and it has the same ability to successfully separate soft tissue layers, release scar tissue adhesions, improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, and relax tense muscles.
If you’re interested in trying cupping therapy, book directly online with Stephanie Van Erp at www.profunction.ca.
Submitted by Pro Function Sports Injury Clinic
