What is Cupping and How Does it Work?
Cupping has gained notoriety recently as an effective technique for helping individuals recover from injuries. You might remember seeing Michael Phelps with cupping marks back at the 2016 Olympics, and since then the popularity of cupping has only grown. We use cupping in our practice here at Cherry Hills Home Therapy, and today I will explain to you how it works.
What is Cupping?
Cupping is a therapy that began in ancient China in which cups are used to create suction on the skin. This is followed by removing the oxygen from inside the cup – they originally used fire, we use suction – which creates negative pressure that pulls the skin into the cup. This leads to the hallmark sign of cupping – the bruise-like ring where the cup was attached.
How Does Cupping Work?
There are 2 proven mechanisms which help explain how cupping works: pain modulation and increased blood flow. Pain modulation occurs with a few processes. The first, and most well-known, is the gate control theory. This theory states that when non-painful stimuli are added in the area of pain, the non-painful stimuli override the painful stimuli and your brain perceives there to be less pain. In response, not only do you experience less pain, but the brain often sends a signal back to the painful area to reduce the amount muscle guarding in that area. The second mechanism is the Diffuse Noxious Inhibitory Controls process. It is similar to the gate control theory, but with this process, cupping is also viewed as a painful stimulus. When you have two painful stimuli, they compete with each other for the brain’s attention, and as a result, while the total amount of pain you experience may be the same, part of that pain is coming from the cupping. When the cups are removed, the amount of pain being perceived by the brain from the injured area remains diminished, resulting in an overall decrease in how much pain is experienced.
The other mechanism is increased blood flow. One way by which this happens is through the stimulation of nitric oxide (NO), a molecule responsible for increasing blood flow by dilating blood vessels. Research has found that cupping increases the expression of an enzyme called NO synthase. As its name suggests, NO synthase synthesizes NO from the amino acid L-arginine, leading to an increase in blood flow to the cupped region. In addition, cupping also causes the release of adenosine, noradrenaline, and histamine – chemicals which contribute to increased blood flow.
Summary
Cupping therapy is a very safe tool that can be used for a variety of injuries. It has been used for thousands of years, beginning with Chinese medicine, and has recently been adopted into Western medicine as research has uncovered the mechanisms of action. If you are suffering from back or neck pain, cupping may help improve your pain and function.
Western Slope Rehab and Performance is Here to Help
If you are struggling with injuries or have recently been in a motor vehicle accident, we can help. We are a physical therapy company that provides home-based orthopedic services in the Grand Junction, CO, area, as well as telehealth appointments throughout Colorado. If you would like to schedule a free consultation, you can call us as 970-462-9177, or fill out our contact form here.
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