Cupping & Gua Sha
Cupping
Cupping therapy is an ancient modality that uses suction to promote health and healing. It helps to loosen soft tissue and connective tissue, scarring and adhesions, moves stagnation and increases lymphatic flow and circulation. This therapy uses either silicone cups, glass cups (with vacuum pump), or both to create suction on the body’s surface. The cups can be kept stationary, or be gently glided, rotated, shaken, or popped on the skin to facilitate joint mobilization or soft tissue release. The suction will reach deep into the soft tissue and attachments. More benefits of cupping include pulling the metabolic waste and inflammation from the body to the surface of the skin where the lymphatic system can properly eliminate them.
Gua Sha
Gua Sha is a natural, alternative therapy that may be used with cupping therapy. Gua Sha involves scraping the skin with a smooth edged massage tool to improve circulation. The therapist uses these tools to perform short or long strokes downward repeatedly on the body to stimulate microcirculation and increase the blood flow. Gua Sha is intended to address stagnant energy and blood to increase the flow and reduce inflammation that may be causing pain. By rubbing the skin’s surface you can increase the flow, reduce inflammation and speed up or promote the healing process.
