What to expect with Cupping Therapy

Hello and welcome back to Yarrow and You Therapeutic Bodywork blog! My name is Heather and I’ve been practicing bodywork since 2012 and this blog is to help my clients and potential future clients, understand the benefits of different types of bodywork and how getting regular bodywork, like regular maintenance on your car, will help your body maintain its balance, health and vitality. My office is located in downtown historic Aurora, Oregon just 10 minutes from Canby. I specialize in Therapeutic Massage, Cupping, Myofascial/Structural Bodywork, Craniosacral Therapy and Hot Stone Massage.

OK, What is with those marks? Will I have them?

In a previous blog I’ve written about the benefits of therapeutic cupping which has been practiced for thousands of years in many places around the world for different ailments. You can read that article here. In this post I will offer some education about what to expect after the cupping has been performed on your body. I find when talking to folks about cupping, there is some misunderstanding that cupping might be painful because we can see marks left on the skin afterwards. Many people, even other health practitioners sometimes refer to these marks as bruises, however, clinically these are not bruises. The medical term for a bruise is contusion: a fall or blow to the body can causes capillaries (tiny blood vessels) that are under the skin to burst, allowing blood to seep out and around the area. This seepage is what we see under our skin. 

Cupping marks are not bruises

Did you know there actually are different types of bruising? There is the subcutaneous bruise that is just underneath the skin, there is intramuscular bruising that like the name suggests which is “in the muscle,” and even periosteal bruises, where the bones can be bruised. Depending on the person’s skin color the bruise can look blackish or blue at first but can take on many different tones. With darker pigmented skin, bruising can look visually less obvious due to contrast as it would on very pale skin. Bruising can happen for many different reasons. If you have bruises for no apparent reason or bruises that don’t seem to heal or are slow to heal you should seek medical advice as this may need to be addressed. Cupping done correctly does not result in bruising.

Now let’s talk about what those marks really are!

These marks are stagnant blood, metabolic waste, cellular debris, and toxins that are being drawn to the surface, just under the skin, by the negative pressure in the cups. When this waste is brought out of deeper tissues and up to the surface and those tissues underneath can draw in fresh blood and oxygen that cleanses the area. Often, the darker the marks, the more severe the stagnation, again depending on skin color contrast. These darker areas are signs of congestion and often where the tight muscle or fascia is that is causing pain and discomfort. These marks, depending on the level of stagnation, will fade over time as the lymphatic system works to clear out the waste from your body.  The marks may clear up in a few hours or last up to 10 days or so. Staying hydrated is important before and after any type of massage or bodywork session and highly recommended for cupping sessions. Water will help flush out all those toxins and lighten the load to the lymphatic system in doing so.

If you are new to cupping…

…I will work on the side of caution and do a lighter session to see how your body responds during the session and afterwards. Don’t worry! This can still be very effective! You should always tell your practitioner if you felt discomfort after cupping. If you feel any soreness afterwards, especially on darker more congested areas you can apply some pain relieving ointment such as arnica gel or cbd cream into the area which can help. I also advise the same to my clients who receive massage or myofascial work because as we “unglue” those tissues the area may be a little sore afterwards. And most people don’t have any soreness after cupping, only relief!

Book a cupping session today

I hope this helps in clarifying what those marks on the skin actually are. I find using cupping in combination with other bodywork is super effective at getting to pain relief. And again, there are contraindications to cupping and this will be discussed at the appointment. Most people feel great afterwards and as you get more cupping, the areas become less and less congested. Book a session today here! Yarrow and You is located inside the Happy and Healthy Life Clinic, HWY 99E, in Aurora.