Cupping therapy is the placement of suction cups onto the skin. The cups are typically made of glass, plastic, or silicone. It is often used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Sports therapy as a stand along therpay or an adjunct to Acupuncture or massage.
What’s Involved in Cupping Treatment
- Creating suction: A suction is created by 2 main mechanisms; Fire Cupping (Traditional): In this method, a flame is briefly introduced into the cup to heat the air inside. The heated cup is then placed on the skin, and as the air inside the cup cools down, it creates a vacuum, causing the skin to be drawn up into the cup. Vacuum Pump (Modern): In modern cupping, a handheld pump is used to remove the air from the cup, creating a vacuum without the need for heat.
- Placement: Cups are usually placed on the back, shoulders, neck, or other muscle groups.
- Duration: The cups stay in place for about 5–15 minutes. Some practitioners slide cups along muscles “Moving Cupping”, others leave them stationary “Dry Cupping“. Cupping Therapy may be combined with Acupuncture and / or Acupressure Massage treatment. Cupping will often cause raised reddish circular marks that are generally painless and usually go away after 7 to 10 days.
Treatment Aims
An old Chinese saying is “Where there’s stagnation, there will be pain. Remove the stagnation, and you remove the pain.” At Balanced Life Health Care, we primarily use as an adjunct to Acupuncture and / or Massage to stretch myofascial tissues, as a result lifting and separating muscle fibres. It can soften tight muscles and tone attachments of muscle to bone, loosen adhesions within the muscle and lift connective tissue. It brings hydration and blood flow to soft tissues, moves deep inflammation to the skin surface for release, and drains excess fluids and toxins by opening lymphatic pathways making it a perfect combination Acupuncture.
Cupping works through several mechanisms:
Increased Blood Flow: The suction effect of the cups draws blood to the treated area, which may promote healing and reduce muscle tension.
Myofascial Release: Cupping can help release tension in the fascia (connective tissue) surrounding muscles, potentially relieving pain and improving range of motion.
Detoxification: Some proponents claim that cupping can help eliminate toxins from the body, but scientific evidence supporting this is limited.
Relaxation: Cupping therapy is often used as a relaxation and stress-reduction technique, similar to massage therapy.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Concepts: In TCM, cupping is thought to balance the body’s “Qi” (energy) and improve the flow of Qi along meridians, which are believed to influence overall health
Cupping Types
At Balanced Life Heatlh Care we utilise the two main methods of Cupping; Fire and Vacuum Pump. Our traditional fire cupping may involve both sliding cupping and stationary placements. Both styles can be combined with Acupuncture and / or Massage.
Traditional Fire Cupping |
Traditional Fire Cupping |
Vacuum Pump Sports Cupping |
Vacuum Pump Sports Cupping |
Commonly Treated Conditions
Sports Injury |
Chronic Pain |
Relaxation |
Cupping for Relaxation & General Muscle Aches |
What to know more?
Want to try Traditional Chinese Cupping Therapy?
Cupping therapy can be incorporated into your Acupuncture session, with Massage or as a sole treatment
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Balanced Life Health Care | Ferntree Gully Acupuncture | Ferntree Gully Chinese Herbal Medicine | Serving Berwick and Melbourne’s South East including Ferntree Gully, Upper Ferntree Gully, Upway, Tecoma, Boronia, Rowville, Scoresby, Bayswater, The Basin, Croydon, Belgrave, Lysterfield, Knoxfield, Glen Waverley, Wheeler’s Hill, Ringwood, Wantirna South
