What The Cup?
You might be thinking to yourself, what the cup is cupping? I’ll be honest, when the Cupping Studio Portland first reached out to me for a collaboration I wasn’t sure what to expect. It looked kind of scary and I wasn’t sure what the marks it left on your body meant. While cupping has become “mainstream” due to celebrities and professional athletes, this practice is an ancient Chinese medicine that dates back over 3,000 years.
“The old Chinese medical maxim holds that pain results from the congestion, stagnation, and blockage of Qi, or vital energy, vital fluids, lymph, phlegm, and blood. If pain is the essence of disease, then suffering is a result of obstructed or irregular flow in the body. Chinese cupping is therefore a method of breaking up the blockage to restore the body’s natural flow of energy (Pacific College of Oriental Medicine).”
That’s Going to Leave a Mark…
The marks that are left after cupping look like bruises, but they actually aren’t. In fact they are the opposite. Bruises are created by impact trauma with compressed breakage of capillaries and a reactionary rush of fluids to the damaged location from the tissue injury (CuppingTherapy.Org). In cupping, there is no compression, but rather your skin and its multiple layers underneath are being pulled up. I received a fire cupping treatment during my visit. When the hot cup is placed on the skin, the air inside the cup cools and creates a vacuum that draws the skin and muscle upward into the cup. Your skin may turn red as the blood vessels respond to the change in pressure.
The darker the spots after cupping have a significance – they mean more stagnation. Michelle, the owner of Cupping Studio Portland explains, “It typically means that you have more tension in those areas or more ‘stagnation’ in the body. When we see darker marks we typically try to do some additional cupping in that area because it’s an area of need.”
It was Cupping Great!
Cupping increases blood circulation to the area where the cups are placed. This can relieve muscle tension, which can improve overall blood flow. People use cupping to complement their care for a wide variety of conditions. It’s interesting to note that the cupping practice goes hand-in-hand with acupuncture. This treatment is also valuable for the lungs, and can clear congestion from a common cold. In fact, respiratory conditions are one of the most common sicknesses that cupping is used to relieve!
While I had some soreness for the next few days, I also felt stress-free after the experience. In addition to my cupping, I received treatment for my TMJ, which I am planning a trip back to the studio for another session. After a year of suffering tight jaw muscles and clenching, I finally felt like I was able to relax after my TMJ treatment. Massage therapist Chelsea worked her magic inside of my mouth! I never have received a massage orally – but if you suffer from TMJ or clenching I highly recommend it.
My husband got the fire cupping treatment as well, and he is already planning his next trip back. As someone who works out a lot, he found this extremely therapeutic. To him it felt like a month long detox occurred in 15 minutes, and he had some of the best workout progression in the gym that he has had in over a year.
The studio was super cute and was located in a larger Healing Center called Zen Space. The staff was really nice and make you feel right at home. I was really relaxed during my massage and cupping. My back feels incredibly looser. Anything that can help blood circulation or pain without ingesting any medicine is wonderful in my opinion. I feel like cupping will be great in the winter time since we are generally less active. Either way, I can’t wait to go back and try different body parts, as well as get more TMJ treatments!
Thanks for such an awesome experience Cupping Studio Portland, we can’t wait to go back!
Danielle
August 30, 2018I am sooo fascinated by cupping and have heard only good things. So interesting to read about your experience!
xx, Danielle | http://www.pineappleandprosecco.com
Whitney
August 30, 2018omg yes! i hear this is so good for the toxins in your body!
xo, Whitney
Torey
August 31, 2018I’m glad you shared this! I never really knew what cupping was all about. I’d def try it!
Andrea
August 31, 2018This is so fascinating to me. I have the worst back from the gym and desperately need some recovery. I think I need to give cupping a try.
http://expeditiontoeuphoria.com
Jamaria Johnson
September 4, 2018This sounds like something I definitely want to try with my husband! Anything that improves the overall well-being of your body, I am here for it! xo
Tuyet
September 5, 2018I kinda want to try this!
Laura Angelone
September 5, 2018My husband has serious back problems and only cupping can help him relieve the pain! So I know how great it is, I gotta try it too!
xx
Laura
Sara
September 6, 2018I’ve been so interested in trying cupping but have to admit the resulting marks made me nervous, so it’s great to hear that they aren’t bruises! Thank you for sharing your experience!
xo, Sara