While cupping is an extremely old form of therapy, it has recently become very popular. You may have noticed many of the Olympic athletes sporting circle markings on various parts of their bodies. This is due to cupping. Not sure what cupping therapy is? Learn more about it here. Well, I decided to try cupping therapy. I recently sustained a bicep tendon injury and rest simply wasn’t cutting it. Three weeks of being in pain I decided to give cupping a try.
Trying Cupping
Before deciding to try cupping therapy I read up on it and talked to a bunch of friends who have tried it. Everyone I talked to raved about the effects of cupping. However, I was skeptical about it since there is little to no scientific evidence to back up the claims they were making. But I decided to try it anyway, since it is relatively safe and I figured it really couldn’t hurt my bicep.
My Experience With Cupping
I booked my appointment at a local acupuncture clinic and I really didn’t know what to expect going in for my session. After checking in I was brought into a very low lit relaxing room with music playing very softly. The woman who would be performing the therapy asked me about the area I wanted to treat. I explained to her that I was suffering from a bicep tendon injury and how the pain traveled throughout my arm. She then asked me about how I would like to be positioned during the therapy giving me several options. I decided to lay on my side while the treatment was performed. For my therapy, I was asked to remove my shirt and bra so the cups could be properly placed. After removing my clothing I layed under a warm sheet and waited for the woman to return. She returned to the room and began the cupping process.
The Cupping Process
She used a flame briefly inside each cup and then adhered it to my skin. Wow, was this a weird sensation. It was never painful, but felt very strange. She put cups from my shoulder all the way down to my elbow, letting me know that it is completely normal for some of the cups to lose their suction during the treatment and fall off. She left the room telling me know that she would return in 8-10 minutes.
The experience overall was incredibly relaxing. The time flew by. Before I knew it the woman returned and began taking the cups off. She simply pulled them off, again this was not painful, but was very strange feeling.
My Thoughts on Cupping
Overall, I really enjoyed the therapy. I honestly could feel a difference in the level of pain in my arm immediately after treatment. Downside, my arm was covered in round markings that may last up to a week, which is completely normal. In general, I can’t wait to go back in for another session and try this therapy on different parts of my body.