🚨DISCLAIMER- All forms of cupping are valuable in their own way. So the thoughts expressed in this article are in fact the opinion of Mike Santana, Owner and creator of Deep Myofascial Cupping. True Wellness Therapies Located in Saddle River, NJ.
FIRST, WHAT IS TRADITIONAL CUPPING?
It all started in ancient Egypt. Thats right, some 3,500 years ago the highly intelligent Egyptians cleverly created a natural way to remove toxins from a sick person. Evidence of this is seen repeatedly throughout hieroglyphic records. As far back as 1,550 B.C. -the Egyptians produced one of the oldest medicinal textbooks in the world – the Ebers Papyrus. This textbook gives details of how they used suction to help people suffering with illnesses like fever, pain, vertigo, menstrual imbalances and several other ailments in order to speed up the natural healing process.
Today, traditional cupping is practiced by just about every movement specialist around. And when I say movement specialist, I mean anyone geared toward movement of the body, which would include massage, therapists, acupuncturists, physical therapists, physiotherapist, physical trainers, chiropractors and other holistic healer type practitioners.
The benefits of cupping
- Pain Relief
- Reduced Inflammation
- Improved Blood Circulation
- Muscle Relaxation
- Detoxification
- Stress Reduction
- Enhanced Energy Flow
- Improved Skin Health
- Immune System Boost
- Faster Healing of Injuries
- Headache Relief
- Improved Digestion
- Respiratory Health Support
- Balancing Energy Levels
- Reduction in Cellulite
- Better Sleep
- Joint Mobility
- Scar Tissue Improvement
- Nervous System Calming
- Emotional Well-being
- Improved Athletic Performance
- Enhanced Range of Motion
- Balancing Body Meridians
- Boosted Collagen Production
WHAT IS DEEP MYOFASCIAL CUPPING?
Deep Myofascial Cupping refers to the lifting and pulling of the deeper layers of tissue that surround your muscles. This technique is used with larger cups which are able to create a stronger suction powered by a vacuum therapy machine that creates a steady and continuous flow of negative pressure that is entirely controlled by YOU the client!
The client controls the pressure? Only you the client know exactly how much pressure you can handle. When the cup is placed on the particular area of your body that you are having problems with there is no way the therapist would be able to know exactly how much pressure to administer.
So by you, the client, controlling the device that is placed at arms length, you are able to relax and have absolute confidence that at no point in time will the pressure in the cup exceeded your threshold for pain.
What does Deep Myofascial Cupping actually do?
Because of the large size of the cup, the pull is so powerful, the suction is so strong that it literally pulls muscles so much that it dislodges and destroys bad, weak and dehydrated tissues hidden within the muscle fibers. Blood is forced into these weakened areas of the body and nutrients are forced into the fibers as well.
If fluid is forced into the fibers, then you can imagine stagnated blood and other toxins are forced out.
Imagine you have been having chronic lower back pain for several years. You have gone to every pain clinic you can think of. Every practitioner works the area of your pain but still they don’t seem to be able to get that last little piece of the puzzle that will truly make the difference. Deep Myofascial Cupping cups are designed to fit the contours of the body, NOT CIRCULAR. In this case a cup about as large as the average persons glute muscle would be used. That large sized cup is then placed over the back of your hip and glute and will pull and stretch every single fiber not only in the cup but also the tissues surrounding the cup.
The advantage of the client controlling the device is to maintain a steady calmness for the 3 to 4 minutes per area. The intense pressure does challenge a person’s threshold. Concentration and deep breathing and absolute comfort knowing that the therapist cannot do anything painful helps to create an environment for tissue release. The therapist is there to place the cups in the proper place and coach the client so maximum benefits can be achieved.
What is the device? The device is nothing more than a small machine operated by just a small knob that raises or lowers the intensity of the suction. As you feel the pressure increase, your body knows exactly where the pressure should be. There is a level of pain to be expected but NOT so high that you tense up. I like to describe it as comfortably uncomfortable. It’s never how hard or strong you can go, but more how hard or strong you should go. That is part of the coaching the therapist does during the session.
The difference between Deep Myofascial Cupping and Traditional Cupping is simple. Deep Myofascial Cupping is monumentally more powerful, more accurate, longer lasting, deeper reaching than the smaller cups used in Traditional Cupping. Traditional cupping is the use of smaller cups or vessels placed all over sections of the body. However because of their size, the power created in these cups are very limited. The power created inside these large custom made cups are strong enough to realign your myofascial network and seek out and destroy any adhesion or bits of scar tissue in the area. Deep Myofascial Cupping cups can lift the compressed dehydrated tissue between the bone and muscle thus restoring proper function.
The contraindications are the same as traditional cupping. Those include but are not always limited to:
- Cupping over a broken bone.
- Cupping over a herniated disc.
- Anyone experiencing organ failure.
- Anyone undergoing current cancer therapies such as chemotherapy or radiation.
- Cupping on sunburned skin.
- Cupping in the middle of having a fever.
- Cupping over any cuts or lacerations.
- Pregnancies in first trimester.
- Caution Used for people with low blood pressure.
- Acute stages of skin conditions, such as psoriasis, eczema, or rosacea.
The success rate of Deep Myofascial Cupping largely depends on the client’s willingness to strengthen the muscles that have been released. After a session the client will have an immediate increase of range of motion (ROM) and with that comes the responsibility to use that new found movement to strengthen and condition. If a section of your body has been tight for years and now after a huge release you can imagine that muscle of group of muscles are not as strong as they should be. Therefore after-care is highly recommended.
Rest is needed after a session of Deep Myofascial Cupping so to allow the muscles to deflate and return to their normal size. Remember, we are engorging muscles with blood and other fluids so putting strain on those muscles right after a session is not recommended. Usually 24 to 48 hours after a session the muscle can be rid of excess fluid.
Cupping marks are to be expected. Just think about the cupping marks that you have seen on other people or even on yourself. Sometimes they’re dark purple sometimes they’re just a little pink. Sometimes there’s no color at all which shows a serious lack of blood circulation. With Deep Myofascial Cupping, there is almost a guarantee of a temporary discoloration of the skin. However it does depend on the area we are working on. It also depends on your body’s condition. The people who get the darkest coloring are usually the people with the best circulation and muscle tone. The darkest spots usually occur around the collarbone area, upper shoulders, mid back and hips. These cups usually last anywhere between one day and two weeks. Very occasionally traces of the cupping marks can be seen weeks after, but these can be dislodged by another round of cupping on the same areas.
After your session dizziness and detoxing can occur. It is important to know that, after a session of deep myofascial, cupping your body is blood circulation is greatly increased. The waist products from all the stagnated, tissues and lymphatic fluid are coming to the surface. There is a good chance that if your body is full of toxins, that you could experience nausea, headaches, dizziness, and lethargy after your session. This is not an indication of a bad treatment, but more an indication that your body is expelling things inside that have to come out. It is the first stage in true healing.
HOW MANY SESSIONS DOES IT TAKE?
The amount of sessions needed to get you out of pain depends on many factors. One of the main factors is what your current body type is like today. If you are in good physical condition, you regularly exercise and are in relatively good shape, then results will come quicker. Another factor is how long you have had the pain. If this has been a problem for many months or even years, then you will need multiple sessions so we can cover more areas of your body. Multiple sessions are usually needed because old injuries are hidden deep inside and need consecutive treatments to root out those hardened fibers. I typically start people off on five, 2-hour sessions.
For more information please contact True Wellness Therapies in Saddle River, NJ 917-455-0559 or follow on instagram @truewellnessnj
Thank you so much,
Good health to you and your loved ones!