What is cupping?

Cupping, a traditional Chinese technique and one of the oldest forms of healing, is used by practitioners all over the world. Cupping Therapy can treat a variety of conditions – back pain, neck pain, anxiety, chronic inflammation, muscle tightness and more.

Treatment involves either using a vucuum pump system or heating the inside of a glass cup and then placing it on the skin.

You can watch a short clip of a cupping treatment on our website.

Through suction and negative pressure, cupping releases rigid soft tissue by bringing all the stagnant blood to the skin’s surface so that the body can do its job and clear it away. The blood brought to the surface is what causes the cupping mark. 

The lifting action stretches your muscle to treat myofascial trigger points or knots and returns a muscle to its full length and elasticity, releasing any pain. 

We have a more in-depth rundown of how a cupping treatment works with us at Melbourne Natural Therapies on our website.

How long does a cupping therapy session last?

A single cupping session usually lasts about 30 minutes. However, cupping can last about an hour or more if combined with other massage therapy.

How long do cupping marks last?

It’s important to know that whilst a cupping mark looks like a bruise; it is different. They are normal, and they are painless. 

The blood is brought to the surface like a bruise, but a cupping mark doesn’t hurt at all. So, if you have one of those annoying family members or housemates who like to poke bruises to see if they hurt, they won’t. 

Cupping marks typically disappear between 4 and 10 days. But on the odd occasion, they can last for two weeks. 

The colour of the marks will often determine how long the mark will last. The darker the cupping mark, the longer it will take to go away. 

Cupping is a process; the more you have cupping, the lighter your cupping marks will be and the quicker they will fade. But if you do decide to have cupping, your therapist will provide a recommended treatment plan for you. 

How to get rid of cupping marks?

The best thing you can do to help get rid of your cupping marks faster is to do regular gentle exercise and stay hydrate.  

What are the benefits of cupping?

Cupping therapy has a whole host of benefits, such as:

• Improve blood circulation
• Alleviate/ease pain
• Improve mobility
• Reduce anxiety
• Improves varicose veins and spider veins

We prefer to combine cupping with other treatments like remedial massage, sports massage and myotherapy to help speed up the process of reducing your pain and seeing the other benefits.

If you would like to make an appointment for a remedial massage or myotherapy massage at Melbourne Combined Natural Therapies and include a cupping treatment, you may book online or call us on 03 9645 9923

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