Cupping Therapy
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Ready to embark on your personalized cupping therapy journey to wellness with Dr. Bettie and her dedicated team? To get the best results, Dr. Bettie will commonly pair cupping therapy with other manual physical therapy techniques such as dry needling or graston technique. Schedule your free 20-minute consultation using the form below
If you’re new to cupping therapy, physical therapists refer to the treatment as myofascial decompression. Cupping is therapeutic technique that involves the use of suction cups on the skin to create a negative pressure or vacuum effect on the skin. This therapeutic technique is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine but gained popularity among US healthcare professionals in 2008 thanks in part to Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer Michael Phelps’ cupping marks on his shoulder and back.
During cupping therapy, cups are applied to specific areas of the body, creating suction on the skin and superficial muscle layers. The negative pressure created by the cups draws the underlying tissue upwards and separates the fascia from the underlying tissues, creating a swelling effect, bringing adhesions to the surface and promoting increased blood flow and healing to the affected area resulting in temporary skin bruising or round purplish marks.
While traditional cupping therapy does not include active movement, myofascial decompression takes into consideration movement inefficiencies, range of motion restrictions, and/or muscular imbalances. Once the cups are applied, the patient becomes an active participant. Interventions include moving through a range of motion and neuromuscular re-education exercises to improve the connective tissue and musculoskeletal systems.