Cupping Massage

[goodluckwithhat]

I have recently been worked on with some techniques that are ancient, yet new to me. Tui Na and Cupping Massage, specifically. After doing some reading about cupping massage, I decided to buy a kit & practice a bit. During the month of July, I will offer a few minutes of cupping - gratis, and will begin to offer it as an add-on and stand-alone modality after that.

When I am being 'cupped' (BTW, my practitioner uses the fire cupping method; I am using suction kits for safety concerns), it is extremely enjoyable & I feel as though I have had very, very comfortable deep tissue work done. So far, I have just been worked along the liver meridian (along the erector spinae & sometimes cresting over the ribs). I have never bruised in the least. My husband (wonderful guinea pig) stays reddened & 'almost bruised' for about a day. I find that using Biofreeze on his back afterwards is decreasing the markings.

Here's some of the reading I have found.

http://www.massagetoday.com/archives/2004/02/04.html

http://www.aegeantherapies.com/qa_cupping.php

(hope those work for you all)

Some of the things I am excited about are that it could lead to a new vein of deep tissue work, especially for those clients who have really seforum.xxxnating tissue or 'armor' that makes my work painful for me to perform. I am also extremely excited about experimenting a little with using it (plus those dang back-ordered peel-off wraps) for cellulite work.

For those that want to caution: I am very careful to practice, read, watch my obvious and intuitive contraindications, etc. Most of the TCM sites that I have been reading from say with a few precautions, it is safe enough for family use. (!)

I got the kit for $28 plus shipping (total of about $39 for me from MA to AZ on 3-day air) from http://www.LhasaOMS.com.

Would anyone care to offer any insights, wise words, etc? (I am so excited about this!... please post! ha ha)

Jill/sagetherapist

 

[Pippin]

Cupping Massage

I have recently started cupping, & oh my. My clients love it.

At first they are like what? And after I kind of talk theminto just trying it, they love it. And most have sent me new clients.

It really makes it easier on my hands. Deep Tissue no more. Bring on the cups.

 

[misslabeled]

Cupping Massage

http://www.massagecupping.com/index.htmWhen I posted before, all of the table at the top of the page of this particular site was not functioning. Now it is. Its very exciting info.Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[armouror2000]

Cupping Massage

http://ycyhealth.com/products/SuctionCupping/Literature/whatisthecupping.shtmlHere's another set of questions & answers, etc.Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[Brooke]

Greetings Jill,Thank you for the info and shared enthusiam towards TCM. I am quite intrigued by this cupping. I had heard about it but hadn't considered using it (until now.) Some accounts I had read some time ago reported suction bruising for weeks..almost as if one had encountered a big hug from an occtopus...smile. I guess this is where the intuiitive knowledge and applied skill of the practitioner is vital.  Yet the said benefits of this unique technique have remained a curious interest...so your present experiences/comments are right on time...smile.I truly appreciate expanding my horizons here because with all ancient modalities...I have a deep respect. For these techniques have endured centuries of humanity's "continued" usage...that certainly says something about their affectiveness (to me at least.) And this is where I feel the skill and knowledge of the practioner IS what makes the difference.I am also just coming into a greater appreciation of elemental and meridian theory. I recently took a Tui Na wkshp which has transformed some of the work I do in terms of some of the applied techniques I learned. I have truly yet to delve into the "science" of Tui Na but that is coming very soon. The response thus far has been VERY positive, and that only compells me dig deeper - ye know how that goes....smile.The healing arts are an extension of my love for the martial arts. I am begining to realize the harmonious and symbiotic relationship/nature between the two. All the vital pressure points one would use to disable a potential foe are the very same ones would use to heal them...very interesting I think. The vital essence of Qi flow is certainly no joke. Attempting to understand them and apply them in terms of skilled bodywork is a continued work in progress..always evolving and very rewarding.Cupping sounds VERY interesting Jill...keep us posted on your experiences and I will do the same w/ Tui Na.Respect

 

[T. Le]

Cupping Massage

Tracey,I will. I do have a note about the bruising. I do not bruise when cupping is performed on me. My husband and one client that offered her back as a guinea pig (also a martial artist) have. It is not a black & blue bruising, and there is no pain. (perhaps because there was no injury??) It goes away in 2-3 days. I am only practicing a moving cupping massage at this point, because I feel that a reddening is good, a reddened-bruising is not what I'd like to offer! ha Especially at the 'wind gate', reddening is favorable, because that means you are increasing qi to improve or strengthen the immune response against colds/flu, etc.BTW, speaking of 'wind gate' and flu...Last month I had the flu. "M" worked on me, pinching at the wind gate (not comfortable at all) & making sure I didn't need to be 'reset'. She also did other TuiNa (liver, gallbladder, kidney) work. My flu came fast & furious, but I was finished with it all in about 3-4 days, including the usually-lingering nose blowing, etc. (this was respiratory flu, of course) that is unheard of for me. I tend to hold onto the sinus & throat symtoms (and especially coughing) for quite a few days after I feel well again.Mutual Respect to you!Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[Chad Warden is ballin]

Cupping Massage

Also, I find that the glass cup produce less brusing than the plastic.fyi

 

["Tree"]

Cupping Massage

oh no. And of course, I have plastic. oh well! I am learning to be quite careful about how to get the client to communicate with me & how to "see" that I'm not using too much vacuum.Just did a practice session on my sister. We worked the back, the legs & hips for cellulite type work, and she asked me to do the knees. She feels she has dimply knees. Honest to goodness, her knees reacted very well & there was a nice change in the appearance! JIll/sagetherapist

 

[chee]

Cupping Massage

Really. I have never tried them on the knees. I'll have to try that. Cool!

 

[shadedskies]

I also do the cupping, with fire and glass cups.  I was taught by my acupuncturist and I love it, though I do bruise.  Most people I have done bruise but come back for more.  I have just ordered another set of cups to keep up with the demand.  It sure beats deep tissue work for 5-10 minutes and frees my hands to work on another body part while the cups do their thing!

 

[Taxi Cat]

Cupping Massage

I was under the impression that you have to be an accupuncturist to do cupping. Maybe it's just Texas, or maybe I was misinformed. I have a client that has offered to get her mom to perform cupping on me, and I accepted, but have not been contacted back by the client's mom. Apparently she's been doing it for years (no license, and doesn't charge, it's just their family herieforum.xxxe) on family and friends. I'd love to have the work done, but besides this client's mother, I don't know many people around here who have even heard about it, let alone practice it.

 

[lordkelvin]

Well, I definitely couldn't say whether Texas is an okay place to practice it or not. Did you read or skim through any of the articles? Two of them are in publications for MTs, and they don't say anything about restrictions. If I were you, I'd find a way to feel it soon, and get those cups! They'll turn you redder than those tanning beds do, and faster! ha ha. JK, Jeff.  ;DJIll/sagetherapist

 

[Pompal 09.]

Cupping Massage

Seforum.xxxg I have a friend in Texas that does the Cupping. And yes you need to have this done. It may bruise you but you want feel it. Its great Baby.

 

[syla]

Cupping Massage

I'd LOVE to get it done, it's just contacting that client to say "Can I visit your mom?" that's difficult. I'm trying to find her number again, but I don't remember which client it was, I just remember the conversation. Maybe I'll just call all the clients that came in last month and ask if their moms do cupping, lol.As for the legalities of it, it's called 'massage cupping' from what I understand, so I'm not exactly sure why we'd be restricted from it, it was just something I was told only those with accupuncture licenses could do; something about placing of the cups causing issues for clients. Does ABMP cover cupping if you use fire?

 

[Shelby]

Cupping Massage

They'll turn you redder than those tanning beds do, and faster! ha ha. JK, Jeff.  ;D

JIll/sagetherapist

Hehehehe. I didn't get burned this last time! I had a spray-on tan, which almost half has come off by simply taking a shower (never getting spray tanned again from the salon I work at, and not recommending it to anyone else). So now I'm back to the tanning beds, only going for a shorter amount of time. I'd really like to just get some sun, but time restrictions don't allow me to go out anywhere to lay out. Something also tells me that my landlord doesn't want me sunbathing in the parking lot at my apartment, lol.

 

[Mya A]

Cupping Massage

ha ha Jeff. In New York, we used to tan on the rooftops... called it "Tar Beach".Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[God]

Cupping Massage

This sounds so interesting!Does anyone know if there is a place I can look where there are seminars that are being held?I looked on massagecupping.com and saw a list of practisioners, but the classes they offer are so few and far between and not close to home!Good luck to all who try this and I hope to get in on it soon!Stacey

 

[Beauty Guru]

Hi everyone,I have been experimenting with massage cupping for a few months and have found it to be phenomenal.  Using fire sounds a bit scary but if you take the precaution of having everything ready (cotton balls, clamp, denatured alcohol, candle, and container for used cotton ball) close at hand it's fine you do not douse the cotton ball with alcohol.  Once the cotton ball is lit and placed inside the glass cup to create heat/vacum you quickly blow it out and place in the container and place the cup in position on the person.  Working with the glass cups feel a bit different from the suction cups and there are advaneforum.xxxes and disadvaneforum.xxxes to both and the techniques used.  Cupping has been used for thousands of years in Ancient Cultures particularly in Traditional Chinese Medicine as part of the therapy to deal with disease along with 5 elements, meridians etc. there is a technique where the skin is punctured and cupped (bloodletting) Interestingly, I have had a few older people tell me that their parents used cupping on them as children for respiratory illnesses particularly those who migrated from Europe and was even told that long ago they performed cupping in barber shops Massage cupping is a modified form of cupping designed for practitioners like MTs and it helps to drain excess fluids and toxins, bring blood flow to the surface and loosen adhesions in soft tissue.  It is a wonderful experience, the people I've worked on commented on the unique feel but enjoyed it.

 

[mommie_tew bee]

I've added cupping to every single massage I did this week. Each & every person loved it. They all know that July is an offering, and in August I will charge a small extra ($5/$10/$15). I've asked almost everyone for a testimonial, so I can make a reception room booklet about it.Here's what I love about it: the back, neck & shoulders get so nicely warmed up & softened that Iam not aching after working my deep tissue clients.My last client this afternoon is a tough massage. I work that person every two weeks, like clockwork. Every other session is hot stone/deep tissue. In the 90 minute deep tissue (today), I did this: applied medium + a couple of long, slow introductory strokes, cupping for about 10 minutes, applied Sombra & worked the back for about 15 minutes, applied hot gel packs while I did one leg/hip/foot, revisited the back for more cupping with a smaller cup, applied biofreeze & massaged back until the 'slip was gone',  then cold gel packs, other leg-hip-foot. That was the least amount of 'hard work' I have ever done on this person prone. I am so pleased with the way things are going with my cupping set! I only kinda wish, now, that I had invested in the set with the removeable magnets. I don't know alot about magnet therapy, but if it helps even more, I think I can increase the number of txs I can do in a day!Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[Pompal 09.]

Cupping Massage

This is pretty amazing: try working on your own wrists & forearms with the cupping sets. wow. Its a little tricky at first, finding the appropriate size of cup to work the different areas, but worth the experimentation. Don't cup at the inside of wrist or bend of the elbow. I worked mine last evening including triceps/elbow junctures & deltoid attachments. Its a great tool to help yourself.Jill/Sagetherapist