Word’s out: you can relieve muscle pain with cupping. In fact this ancient, pain- free modality has recently received a great deal attention. Many top athletes like Michael Phelps are seen sporting large, bruise-like circles on their bodies. But cupping has been around for thousands of years and is a common practice around the world including South America and Europe. It’s just not something Americans are used to yet. But as they try this wonderful form of muscle relaxation and find they instantly relieve sore, aching muscles, they become quick fans.
How Cupping is truly Instant Relief for Aching Muscles
Cupping uses cups with pumps to pull skin and tissue up into the cup. These cups are either left in place or moved around tight, painful areas, from the back down to the thighs (for sciatica). This increases oxygen and nutrients to the area.When the tissue is pulled into the cup, it helps stretch tight, knotted muscles. This pulls dead cellular debris from deep in the muscle to an area with greater blood flow, where the body can more easily remove it. With the area now free of the toxins the body has produced, nutrients and oxygen can come in, allowing the tissue to heal itself. Removing stagnant blood and toxins from an area helps heal sore muscles much more easily.
An MD I spoke with recently felt that cupping must be beneficial. His rationale was that when muscles are tight, there is less blood flow to that area causing it to break down and leave large amounts of metabolic waste to build up. This metabolic waste can interfere with calcium ion channels (what allows our cells use to properly convey messages between one another). This doctor allowed that cupping would help remove this buildup and allow for proper nerve firing, reducing spasms and painful contractions. This was a positive endorsement for a therapy that’s been around for two thousand years.
What Causes Those Marks When Cupping to Relieve Muscle Pain
The marks left behind look like bruises, but they’re not bruises. The marks are non-painful and usually go away from within 2 days to a week. Cupping pulls up non-circulating, dead blood cells and other fluids left behind from injuries to the surface where the body can move it out. That’s a good part of why cupping provides instant relief for aching, tired muscles.
Does Cupping Hurt?
When done by a trained professional, such as an acupuncturist, cupping doesn’t not hurt. Many people even find the treatment relaxing. Afterward, the area typically feels more fluid, and the person experiences a reduction in pain. The discolored areas should not hurt after treatment and will go away quickly, depending on how well your lymphatic system is draining or how much debris needed to be moved out.
What is a Cupping Session Like?
In my office, I only use mechanical silicon or plastic cups. I place coconut oil on the area to be worked on so the cups can move around easily including joints and bony areas. Five minutes of cupping is the equivalent to 30 minutes deep tissue, minus the discomfort. Treatments last roughly 25 minutes, with shorter treatments used at the beginning in order for the body to get used to the treatments. People often express amazement at how cupping provides instant relief fo their aching muscles. You can find other ways of relaxing the mind to relax the body in my book, Rewired for Sleep: the 28-Day Insomnia Repair Program
In fact, most people who have tried it experience a great reduction in aches and pains after a single treatment. More to the point, Olympic athletes swear by it and how it helps them recover from long days of training. You don’t have to be Michael Phelps to experience the awe-inspiring instant muscle relief that cupping provides. Is back pain stopping you from sleeping through the night? Check out Dr. Bernstein’s Amazon best selling book, Rewired For Sleep: the 28-Day Insomnia Repair Program or click on the website