Dr. Jason Madigan and his team at Sport & Spine Chiropractic Rehab, serving Lock Haven, PA, offers a variety of chiropractic therapies, including the cupping technique, an ancient Chinese medicine therapy with several benefits.
What Is the Cupping Technique?
Cupping therapy, or the cupping technique, is the application of specific cups to the skin to create a vacuum through suction and stimulate blood flow to that area. The blood flows to the cupped area because of the negative pressure exerted by the treatment. Cupping is often used to release toxins from body tissues and organs by using the increased blood flow to draw out toxins and send them to the body’s surface. There are four main types of cupping techniques:
- Wet cupping
- Dry cupping
- Oil cupping
- Flash or empty cupping
There are also different suction methods, and the material that the cups are made of may vary. Of the four techniques listed, only wet cupping is mildly invasive and requires the practitioner to use a scalpel to draw away additional blood.
Benefits of Cupping Therapy
Dr. Madigan at Sport & Spine Chiropractic Rehab, serving Lock Haven, PA, works with all types of musculoskeletal complaints in the back, neck, and extremities, including post-surgical rehabilitation patients. Still, most of our patients come to us for sports medicine-related treatments, including those who belong to the local trail running community and Lock Haven University and high school athletes who need non-medicinal and non-invasive therapies that stimulate and speed up the body’s natural healing systems.
This is where the cupping technique comes in: It is primarily non-invasive, depending on the method, and offers the benefit of being a natural therapy that can reduce pain and inflammation, promote healing and rejuvenation, and increase relaxation while promoting lymphatic drainage and secretion of synovial fluid.
What to Expect During a Cupping Technique Session?
When you arrive for your cupping appointment, your practitioner may perform a brief medical examination and ask about your symptoms.
After that, the cups will be applied to your bare skin manually. You will feel a noticeable sucking sensation as they are used, and pressure is exerted, but it should not be painful.
Once the cups are in place, they will remain on your body briefly while you rest comfortably. After the time is up, the cups will be removed, and you may notice your skin turning red or showing light bruising called ecchymosis, which will fade.
Get in Touch!
If you are interested in our cupping technique, please get in touch with Dr. Madigan and his team at Sport & Spine Chiropractic Rehab, serving Lock Haven, PA, to book your appointment today! Our contact number is 570-858-5645.