Cupping refers to an ancient Chinese practice in which a cup is applied to the skin and the pressure in the cup is reduced (by using change in heat or by suctioning out air), so that the skin and superficial muscle layer is drawn into and held in the cup. In some cases, the cup may be moved while the suction of skin is active, causing a regional pulling of the skin and muscle, as we will use in our Myofascial Cupping workshops.

Myofascial Cupping using a vacuum cupping set

At the end of the 20th century, another method of suction was developed in which a valve was constructed at the top of the jar and a small hand-operated pump is attached so that the practitioner could suction out air without relying on fire (thus avoiding some hazards and having greater control over the amount of suction).

Our Myofascial Cupping workshops specifically use this type of apparatus in new and innovative ways which techniques can be used as a total treatment on their own, or integrated into your typical treatment with manual therapy techniques that include Myofascial Release, Trigger Point (TrP) Therapy.

In order to allow easy movement of the glass cups along the skin, some oil is applied. Medicated massage oils (with extracts of herbs) are particularly useful for this purpose. There is some friction generated with Myofascial Cupping, so that there is a small but significant amount of heat applied by the method, especially when used in conjunction with topical Cupping Oil during the treatment and applying a warming 'after-treatment' balm.

What is Negative Pressure?

By creating a negative pressure (tensional) above the surface of the tissues, we decrease the atmospheric pressure allowing the tissue to be lifted and thus causing changes in pressure beneath the skin including the muscle and surrounding fascia. Importantly, when we glide over a muscle, we also cause compression pressure with the rim of the cup.