Is cupping good or not?
Both physical therapy techniques help eliminate or minimize tension and stress. These approaches should help you relax your body. If you are suffering from pain or soreness, either therapy can alleviate the discomfort. In particular, cupping activates natural healing while massage removes knots.
What to expect after cupping?
After a cupping session, you'll probably see round red marks on your skin, which should fade in a week or two. Your therapist may advise you to drink lots of water (to flush out toxins), stay warm, and rest. You may feel a little tired as if you're fighting a minor illness. Therapists say this is normal, a side effect of your body getting rid of toxins.
Many people who've had cupping therapy report that it:
Reduces pain and inflammation.
Decreases muscle tightness.
Improves blood flow.
Increases range of motion.
The 2016 summer Olympics had its share of exciting performances, upsets, and photo finishes. But for days after Michael Phelps's first appearance at the games, it seemed all anyone could talk about was "cupping." It's an ancient therapy that left multiple circular discolorations on his skin. During "dry cupping," suction is applied to the skin for several minutes; sometimes it is combined with massage, acupuncture, or other alternative therapies. ("Wet cupping" is similar except that blood is removed by making small cuts in the skin.)
Cupping is supposed to draw fluid into the area; the discoloration is due to broken blood vessels just beneath the skin, much like a bruise. Cupping has been popular in Egyptian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern cultures going back thousands of years, but increasing numbers of people worldwide have been adopting it. Celebrities and athletes have popularized it in the U.S. and all over the world because of the quick results of motion and recovery in recent years.
