Fire cupping is a treatment used in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to treat a wide range of health issues and has roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine dating back thousands of years. Working to reduce inflammation in the body by using suction, it’s a great treatment to incorporate with massage therapy, acupuncture treatments or done all on its own.
What is Fire Cupping?
Fire cupping tackles the muscles much like a massage, except in reverse; the cups are pulling the muscle tissue instead of pushing and compressing it.
Your therapist will start by using a flame to draw out the oxygen in a glass cup before quickly placing it upside down on your body. Done relatively fast, so you don’t feel the heat, the process creates the negative pressure, much like a vacuum, and pulls the oxygen out of the cup. This action loosens and stretches the connective tissue, breaks up and drains stagnation, while increasing blood and lymph flow to the skin and muscles in ways not possible using compression techniques alone.
During the process it is normal for your skin to rise and redden as your blood vessels expand while the suction pulls toxins from deep within the tissue to the surface where it is more easily expelled from the body. The intensity of the redness will lessen as the deeper issues are resolved and the toxins have been flushed out of the body via the circulatory system. The marks may look painful, but they are not.
Benefits of Fire Cupping
Therapeutic fire cupping can help relieve muscle tension, tightness, pain, and stiffness. It is also beneficial for repetitive strains, chronic fatigue, deep tissue release without discomfort, relief from joint pain and strengthens the immune system.
Fire cupping is a great treatment to incorporate with your massage therapy for additional relaxation and activation of the parasympathetic nervous system or do all on its own.
If you’re looking to relieve inflammation, loosen tight muscles, improve circulation, and strengthen your immune system book your treatment today.
Book a fire cupping session with Shelley Hoffart
Shelley is a Registered Massage Therapist who specializes in fire cupping. Try this treatment by booking a massage.