Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine in which a practitioner puts special cups on your skin for a few minutes to create suction. People get it for many purposes, including to help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, relaxation and well-being, and as a type of deep-tissue massage.
The cups may be made of:

Glass
Bamboo
Silicone/Plastic- we use these for our cupping services.

Cupping therapy might be trendy now, but it’s not new. It dates back to ancient Egyptian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern cultures. One of the oldest medical textbooks in the world, the Ebers Papyrus, describes how the ancient Egyptians used cupping therapy in 1,550 B.C.

Does Cupping Therapy work?

Cupping therpy is very effective in reduce tension and muscle spasms throughout the body. Most people that try it a few times really enjoy the benefits it gives them. Some common areas we use the cupping therapy in the clinic is on the upper traps (upper back), rotator cuff, erector spinae muscles (mid to lower back) and around the arms and shoulders. Cupping can be used for lower extremities, but in our experience people benefit more in the upper torso.

How often can I get Cupping?

We generally recommend no more than twice per week. Sometimes patients aren't candidates for twice per week because of residue bruising from the previous visit. Even if there are bruising marks from the previous visit the doctor may just work around those marks to let it heal fully before performing again. Otherwise, cupping may be performed twice per week.

Types of Cupping

There are different methods of cupping, including dry cupping and wet cupping (we don't do wet cupping)

The modern version of dry cupping therapy uses a rubber pump instead of fire to create the vacuum inside the cup. Sometimes practioners use silicone
cups, which they can move from place to place on your skin for a massage-like effect.

We do not offer wet cupping or needle cupping...

With that being said...wet cupping creates a mild suction by leaving a cup in place for about 3 minutes. The therapist then removes the cup and uses a small scalpel to make light, tiny cuts on your skin. Next, they do a second suction to draw out a small quantity of blood.You might get 3-5 cups in your first session. Or you might just try one to see how it goes. It’s rare to get more than 5-7 cups, the British Cupping Society notes.

Cupping therapy supporters believe that wet cupping removes harmful substances and toxins from the body to promote healing. But that’s not proven.

Some people also get “needle cupping,” in which the therapist first inserts acupuncture needles and then puts cups over them.

Types of Cupping

Side Effects of Dry Cupping

Cupping is very safe, as long as you go to a trained health professional. But you could have these side effects in the area where the cups touch your skin:

Mild discomfort
Bruises

What Does the Research Show?

There haven’t been many scientific studies on cupping.

One report, published in 2015 in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, notes that it could help with acne, herpes zoster, and pain management. We only use cupping in our clinic for muscle recovery, to stimulate blood flow and to reduce muscle spasms. Although, we only use for pain management, muscle recovery and tight muscles other uses go beyond how you feel.

That’s similar to the findings from a 2012 report, published in PLoS One. Australian and Chinese researchers reviewed 135 studies on cupping. They concluded that cupping therapy may be effective when people also get other treatments, like acupuncture or medications, for various diseases and conditions, such as: