WODdoc Episode 144 Project365: Cupping For Recovery

November 24, 2014 4:51 am

Ok so in today’s video I showed a quick demonstration of fascial cupping. I am a little delirious from the last couple days so I am going to reiterate the highlights:

1. First off, what is cupping?

Myofascial decompression therapy, also know as cupping is a form of alternative medicine in which suction is created on the skin. It is one of the oldest forms of medicine, dating back to 3000 BC. There are 2 forms of cupping, wet cupping and dry cupping. Today, we are discussing a subtype of dry cupping called massage cupping.

Why is it beneficial?

Unlike most other forms of myofascial treatment which are compressive, cupping is decompressive. The idea is to use suction to lift the layers of skin and fascia allowing increased blood flow to promote healing.

How do I do it?

Cupping is pretty much goofproof (at least the form we are talking about today). All you do is lubricate the treatment area, apply the suction cup to the skin and slowly move it around over the length of the muscle being treated. Try to put the body part in a relax position so the skin is not taught. If there are areas of extreme tenderness, let the cups sit stagnant for 1-2, and resume continues movement. Treat for 5-10 mins.

Where can I buy some and how much does it cost?

I recommend a silicon cupping set. I personally use The Health Ranger Set. You can find it on Amazon along with everything else form plastic toy pretzels to hot air balloons. There are many different ones out there but this one seems to work the best for me. When performing massage cupping the softer silicon conforms to the contours of the body better.