Cupping Therapy 101

What is Cupping and Why It Works?

Cupping is a therapy that uses suction to gently lift your skin and the tissue underneath. While traditional massage pushes into your muscles, cupping pulls up, helping tight areas relax in a different way.

This “push and pull” combination increases blood flow, helps stuck tissues release, and calms your nervous system. Cupping can improve sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, and leave you feeling deeply relaxed. It’s also great for relieving chronic pain, tension, and common issues like neck and shoulder pain, carpal tunnel, sciatica, frozen shoulder, and tech neck.

Preparing for Your Cupping Session

Before your session:

Hydrate well: Drinking water helps your tissues stay pliable and responsive.
Avoid stimulants or relaxants: Skip caffeine, alcohol, and recreational substances like marijuana before your session.

After your session:

Keep hydrating: Water helps flush out toxins and supports tissue recovery.
Light stretching: Gentle movement can help maintain flexibility.
Rest your body: Avoid strenuous workouts for 24 hours light walks are fine. Take it easy for the rest of the day to allow your body to fully integrate the session.

What do cupping marks mean?

Light pink: Fresh blood flow to the area, suggesting mild tightness or stress.
Dark red or purple: Indicates deeper pain patterns, tight knots, old injuries, or scar tissue.
Brown: Usually from older cupping marks, showing the body is in a healing phase.
Yellow: Appears as marks fade, signaling that the tissue is continuing to heal.
What about water blisters? They are rare and nothing to worry about. They can indicate your body is releasing toxins. If this happens, contact your practitioner for guidance.

Does Cupping Therapy Hurt? What Should I Expect?

Cupping therapy is generally gentle and not painful. You may feel slight pressure, but it shouldn’t be uncomfortable. I’ll check in with you throughout the session to ensure your comfort.

A good way to imagine it is like an octopus gently sticking to your skin you’ll feel the tissues lift and release as the cups do their work, which is part of what makes cupping so effective.

Pro tip: Don’t hold your breath! Take deep breaths in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Focusing on your breathing helps relax your nervous system, which allows the cups to do what they’re magically doing.

Can I Cup Other Areas Besides My Back?

Yes! Cupping isn’t limited to the back. I can also cup the arms, glutes, legs, and even the face. Facial cupping is more specialized and can help with TMJ issues, headaches, or migraines. It’s not necessary for every session and may not be right for everyone, so we’ll discuss if it’s a good fit for your appointment.

Since session time is limited, we’ll always start by discussing your main areas of concern. This ensures we target the right muscles and address the areas causing pain or tension. A one-hour session is focused and specific, so your entire body won’t be cupped in that time. Instead, the session is designed to address the areas that most affect your body and pain patterns, giving you the most effective results.

Do I need cupping in my session?

Cupping is optional it's just how I achieve the best results. It's not required, and choosing to not do cupping does not reduce the session price. If you're hesitant, we can simply focus on a more traditional bodywork session emphasizing manual therapy techniques without cupping. Your session is fully customizable to what feels best for you.

If you have any further questions or concerns about cupping therapy, you are always welcome to email me at inquiries.masahebodywork@gmail.com. I'm happy to help!