Cupping: A Chiro’s Best Friend
Guest post by Dr. Hannah Steinmetz of Dakota Chiropractic!
Hi, from your friendly neighborhood chiropractor
Hello patients and friends of Moms in Motion! My name is Dr. Hannah and I am the owner/chiropractor of Dakota Chiropractic in Apple Valley, MN. We treat families (moms, mostly) in the south metro struggling with neck and back pain, posture issues, and physical symptoms due to burnout.
In addition to chiropractic adjustments, we utilized lots of other therapies. One of our favorites is CUPPING!
What is cupping?
Do you remember watching Olympic swimming a few years ago and seeing those big round bruises all over the athletes’ backs? That was from cupping!
Cupping can generally be described as a technique that uses cups placed over the skin to create negative pressure through suction. Cupping has been around since as early as 400 BC and was practiced all over the world. The bruises (which are NOT painful by the way) come from blood pooling in the area where the cup is placed. (Furhad & Bokhari., 2022)
Today it is utilized by many practitioners such as acupuncturists, massage therapists, and even chiropractors. We choose this therapy when there has been chronic pain and/or inflammation in an area. For instance, when someone carries their stress in their upper back and shoulders, and this is leading to difficulty in looking over their shoulders while driving.
What are the benefits of cupping?
Cupping has many physiological benefits that all add up to improved healing. Some of the benefits observed after a cupping session include
Improved circulation
Removal of toxins
Improved oxygen supply to the tissues being cupped
The specific mechanism that leads to these observed benefits has not been identified yet, but there are many theories. One popular theory suggests that the cups behave similarly to the kidneys in removing toxins by high pressure filtration. (Furhad & Bokhari., 2022)
A Note on Visceral Cupping
While at Dakota Chiropractic we typically use cupping to target inflammation and pain in skeletal muscles (think shoulder, low back, hips), cupping can also be utilized for symptoms of the gut with a technique called visceral cupping. This technique involves cupping over the belly for the purpose of moving colon blockages, improving digestion, even releasing emotions.
Want More?
If you are interested in learning more about this technique and others that we practice at Dakota Chiropractic, visit us online or schedule an appointment at www.dakotachiroclinic.com
Be well 😊
Resources:
Furhad, S., & Bokhari., A. A. (2022). Cupping Therapy. Stat Pearls.