Silicone cupping has experienced a rise like no other in the past decade in massage therapy circles. If you’ve ever seen someone’s exposed back and the silicone cup round marks that appear, you may either think they look so weird and odd or you may be curious. After all, if Olympic-level athletes are using it to help them, maybe it could help you as well.
Massage therapy-based silicone cupping has been around for thousands of years. Cultures like China, Egypt, Greece, and Iran have used cupping to alleviate more than a dozen musculoskeletal conditions. Traditional Chinese medicine uses cupping as a focal point in facilitating balance in the body.
When you get a massage, you get a person pressing down on your muscles. Silicone cups work oppositely. They create a vacuum on a person’s skin and reverses the pressure put down on muscles by pulling them away from the body. Tight, deep muscle tissues can them be massaged from the opposite direction, releasing stagnant blood and allowing your lymphatic system to kick in. As you do this, you see your circulation increase. This helps oxygen and nutrients make way through to your muscles, and promotes natural healing and detoxification processes.
Now, there are different massage therapy cupping techniques out there. There’s fire cupping which utilizes fire to create suction. There’s wet cupping which uses moisture. There’s also dry cupping. Cups can be made out of hard plastic and glass, although the preferred cupping material by practitioners is usually silicone. Silicone is recommended as they make for the perfect cup – soft, easily pliable, and they can be used either in a stationary position or moved. Also, because silicone cups are soft, a practitioner can control the level of suction on a client’s skin. Thereby, the intensity level of your cupping experience can be adjusted.
If you’re still wondering about what those pink spots are in silicone cupping therapy, they’re harmless. Those pink spots aren’t bruises and they don’t hurt. It’s just stagnant blood that’s been pulled to the surface of the skin. The majority of these spots disappear within minutes, as one’s circulation moves elsewhere through the body. Sometimes, spots can last longer. If you’re planning a beach trip and you don’t want to give away you’re doing cupping, just make your therapist aware.
The great thing about silicone cupping therapy is that it can be used anywhere. If you’re suffering from tight muscles, silicone cupping might be just what you need to loosen up and stimulate healing. We hope this cupping therapy guide has provided some help on what to expect and how to use them. If you’re looking to buy a silicone cupping set in Canada, visit Lierra.ca today!