Common Questions About Cupping

How do cups feel?

People have described the feeling of having cups applied to their bodies in many different ways. Examples range from feeling soft, soothing, rolling, invigorating, stimulating, energizing, penetrating, warming, tingling, ticklish, and separating, to feeling like a deep-tissue massage. People can feel itchy after cupping, most likely due to either an increase in circulation in the area (released histamines), the stimulation of nerve endings, or the release of embedded inflammation.

Here's what some recipients have noted after treatment: 

• "It feels like your hands but different."

• It feels like I have breathing room in my tissues."

• "It sometimes feels like you found the spot no one has gotten to before with massage and bodywork!"

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What are the marks that often happen from cupping?

Cupping marks are a sign of interstitial debris, such as old blood, being released after cups have been applied to the body. Cups work as a vacuum, helping to facilitate the release of any waste materials that the body sometimes simply cannot do on its own. While true cupping marks are a sign of release, sometimes bruises occur if this therapy is applied too strongly or too aggressively.  

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For how long can cups be applied? And how strong a suction can be used?

Everyone will experience a different reaction to therapeutic cupping. It is best, therefore, to limit both the time and the pressure of suction in initial applications so the body has time to welcome any vacuum therapy, rather than overdoing it. Cupping is an entirely new concept of physical manipulation and the body needs time to respond to what has been changed, both in fluid exchanges and separation of previously adhered tissues. 

The more an individual uses cups, the more they can typically learn and anticipate the outcomes, but there can always be surprises or unexpected reactions. Reactions depend on a few variables - a person's level of hydration, activity, age, nutrition, and previous experiences with bodywork - all of which can offer some insight as to how this individual will respond. 

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What should come after the first cupping procedure?

To assess the initial cupping visit, I suggest getting feedback from all recipients immediately after the procedure, as well as in the days that follow (this is even more highly suggested for more professional applications and environments where patient progress is being noted). Feedback allows the person applying the cups to know how their work was received and how to plan for the next application. Here are some examples of assessing an initial treatment:

• If someone felt better and experienced improvement or perhaps felt no major differences after their first treatment of cups, a longer treatment time or increased suction might be considered.

• If someone felt some fatigue, headache, or nausea after their first treatment, there may have been too much toxic movement within their system. The next application should not increase in intensity and less cupping (pressure, time, or both) is recommended. 

• If someone felt a lot of pain, bruising, or swelling after their treatment, the person applying the cups should not only lessen their next application but also further evaluate the recipient for such measures as hydration, any overlooked contraindications, tissue integrity (such as vascular issues or weak muscle tone), overall health, etc. 

There is no one expected outcome, so it is always best to approach each individual according to their own personal conditions.  

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How often can cups be used?

Cupping should not be done every day. Considering how disruptive cups can be to the pre-existing state of various body systems as well as to the amount of fluid exchange. It is important to allow the body time to process what has been affected before applying cups again. Some of the systems that could experience change include: 

• Lymphatic: Cups are lifting and separating whatever structures may have been "stuck," which may have caused fluid retention or immobility in the first place. While cups are extremely helpful, using them too often can move too much fluid, ultimately causing swelling. The body should be allowed to process and settle for approximately 48 hours before reapplying cups to the same location. 

• Muscular: While cups can yield good results in relieving pain and increasing the range of motion, the area cupped may be sensitive to what has been released. This is no different than deep-tissue therapies. How sensitive is the area the next day? Should it be worked again while in a state of discomfort? In these cases, the answer is no. Cups can be applied to different muscles in different locations, but it is strongly advised not to repeat an application in the same location within 48 hours. 

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How long will it take until something is "fixed" with cupping?

If this were an answerable question, cupping would be the miracle therapy! While cups can yield some truly extraordinary results, each person is different. Furthermore, because of cupping's non-invasive application and the systems involved in releasing restricted tissue, it may be best to approach the how long question in a more cumulative manner. This means that whatever condition you are working on (pain relief, spider veins, cellulite, scar tissue, etc.), a few weeks of regular applications is suggested. The condition can then be reassessed and a further treatment plan created from there, if necessary. Chances are that if something has accumulated over a few years (for example, cellulite), it will take at least a few weeks of constant applications to have major changes happen. However, one treatment can yield excellent (and sometimes shocking!) results. 

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Where is the evidence that cupping actually works like you say it does?

As with any non-invasive therapy (massage therapy, physical therapy, acupuncture), the proof is often in the results. Western medicinal practices depend on (or at least want) proof, while Eastern practices look for results. Cupping is a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy, which has its own mysticism as well as its skeptics. The search for factual proof of cupping's efficacy is similar to that for many alternative therapies and can be limited in clinical documentation and often inconclusive. The fact that cups have been employed the world over for thousands of years, however, speaks volumes for its efficacy, as do the thousands of cases and testimonials accrued by this therapy. The Russian  Minister of Health has done more than 40 years of research and established its official use in its medical system. The "proof" is in the work and its results. 

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The Guide To Modern Cupping Therapy, by Shannon Gilmartin, CMT

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