Cupping
Suction cups applied over a muscle group, sometimes moved through range, to lift and decompress tissue that has become dense and sticky.
Most manual work pushes into tissue. Cupping pulls away from it, which changes how the layers move against each other, especially across broad areas like the mid-back and quads.
The marks are not bruises and they are not a measure of how much good it did. They fade in under a week.
What it changes
- ✦Covers broad areas quickly
- ✦Different input from anything hands-on
- ✦Easy to combine with movement through range
Safety & what to expect
Circular discoloration is expected and lasts three to seven days. We skip it over broken skin, and adjust for anyone on blood thinners.
More in Soft Tissue & Myofascial
Active Release Technique
Tension held on a named muscle while you move the joint through range, aimed at the adhesions limiting glide.
Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue
Stainless steel instruments used along the muscle and fascia to find and work the restricted areas, commonly known by the Graston protocol.
Dry Needling
A thin monofilament needle placed into a taut band of muscle to release a trigger point, used for the knots that keep reforming after hands-on work.