What is cupping therapy and what are the marks left behind ?
Cupping therapy is an ancient healing technique that has been used in Japanese and Chinese traditional medicine for thousands of years.
In the West, this therapeutic treatment is very popular as an alternative remedy for a wide range of conditions and ailments and may be used by some therapists as a modality to complement your treatment plan.
Unlike many Western medical treatments, cupping therapy doesn’t use invasive procedures or drugs. Instead, it uses the natural power of suction to promote increased local blood flow and lymphatic drainage, while stimulating the Myofascial layers, muscles and other
sub-dermal tissues.
What are the marks caused by cupping ?
Cupping, in general, is regarded as a relatively safe practice,
Most studies conducted proved that cupping is a beneficial alternative therapy technique,
however it still has some flaws.
Just like any therapeutic technique, cupping has some side effects that show after the treatment is finished.
The most common side effect of cupping therapy is the presence of cupping marks and the discolouration of the skin.
The marks on the skin are regarded as a part of the therapy session.
Circular marks that are left behind after the cupping therapy, relate to the increased blood circulation to the treated area when negative pressure is applied in the cups, and the skin is drawn up, tiny blood capillaries in the superficial layer of muscles and skin are broken.
This drives the body to treat the area in much the same way as it does with a bruise,
this process causes the discolouration of the skin by producing chemicals known as inflammatory mediators and by forming tiny blot clots under the skin.
The other reason for cupping marks is that the suction creates gaps between the skin layers,
this extra space allows the tissues to collect more fluids, toxins, and dead cellular debris under the top layer of the skin.
As the lymphatic system washes this debris away, the skin returns to its original colour,
marks usually disperse from between a couple of days but on occasion can last up to a couple of weeks, depending upon your bodies natural healing response.
That’s why you shouldn’t worry about these marks., in fact, even ancient healers considered these bruises an indication of the success of the therapy session.
The reason behind that is that they believed that these dark marks represent the release of the toxins from the body, which is close to the debris theory, they also believed that the darker these marks are, the more stagnation and toxin-filled the blood was,
thus therapists often use the coloration of these marks to further diagnose your condition.
How does cupping help athletes?
Cupping is known to boost local blood circulation, bringing an increased supply of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues surrounding the treatment sites.
For athletes with tired muscles, this can facilitate tissue repair and accelerated removal of toxins.
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