PITTSBURGH CUPPING THERAPY

CUPPING THERAPY

All of our massage therapists are well-trained in the technique of therapeutic cupping. Add cupping to your next massage and experience it for yourself.

CUPPING TREATMENTS

What is Cupping Therapy?

What is cupping?
Traumas, injuries, and a sedentary lifestyle can all leave an accumulation of metabolic waste and old blood cells deep in the tissues that we refer to in Chinese medicine as stagnant blood. Unlike massage therapy, which focuses on compression of the muscles to relieve pain and promote healing, cupping uses a decompressing action on the body which facilitates lymphatic and vascular flow, releases tight fascia, and lifts this cellular debris to the surface where the body naturally clears it.

Cupping is as much a diagnostic tool as it is a treatment. The round marks that appear after a cupping session, if they appear at all, clearly show the areas that had an accumulation of stagnant blood, which gives your massage therapist a roadmap to follow for future treatments. The marks fade in a few days as the body clears away the debris, leaving room for fresh blood to nourish the area that was compromised. Cupping will often help a troubled area when other therapies won't.


How is it performed?
In a cupping treatment, your massage therapist applies a moisturizer to your skin then places silicone and/or plastic cups on specific areas of the body, creating a pleasant suction feeling. In Static Cupping, a number of cups are positioned on the body and remain in one location for up to 10 minutes before being repositioned. This allows the therapist to treat a large area of the body within one session. Slide Cupping is a variation in which the therapist slowly and gently slides the cups across specific muscle groups. These techniques are often used in tandem in our clinic and may be combined with a full body massage, anti-inflammatory hemp oil, or performed as a stand-alone treatment. This therapy is also incorporated into acupuncture sessions if deemed necessary.

How do I prepare for a cupping session"?

  1. Hydrate. Water is essential for your health, especially for your lymphatic system. Cupping supports your lymphatic system. Your lymphatic system clears away cellular waste from your body and it needs plenty of water to do this effectively. Make sure you are hydrated, but not overly so.

  1. Eat an hour or so before your appointment.

  2. Don’t shave the area within four hours of your appointment. Your therapist really doesn’t mind stubble and your skin will thank you.

  3. Recover from sunburn. When you receive cupping, it will feel like that area is warmer than normal. Neither the cup nor the extra heat will feel good on sunburned skin. Apply some soothing aloe and wait until your skin has recovered before your next cupping appointment.

  4. Don’t exfoliate aggressively. Exfoliating removes a layer of dead skin, which makes your skin extra sensitive. Wait a couple days after any aggressive exfoliation treatment before receiving cupping.

What should I avoid after cupping or cupping massage?
For 4-6 hours post cupping, avoid exposure to:

  1. Caffeine, alcohol, sugary foods and drinks, dairy, and processed meats
    These foods slow down your body’s ability to process the treatment.

  2. Hot showers, saunas, hot tubs and strong air conditioning
    After cupping, your skin will be more sensitive to temperature in the areas where the cups were placed. Give your skin time to recover.

  3. Intense exercise

  4. Cold and windy conditions

How to make the cupping marks go away faster:
The circular marks from cupping range in color from pink to deep red or purple and reflect your body’s health in specific areas at the time of cupping. Light discolorations will start to fade after a few hours while darker marks may take up to two weeks to disappear completely. If you’d like those marks to go away faster, do these three things:

  1. Drink a lot of water.
    Water helps flush your lymphatic system of the cellular waste that cupping helps release from your tissues.

  2. Stay warm.
    Try to cover the area(s) where you received cupping.

    Our massage therapists are well-trained in the technique of therapeutic cupping and enthusiastically endorse its benefits. We hope you’ll add cupping to your next massage and experience it for yourself.

cups applied to back
 
Ian Green

Massage and Cupping Combination Therapy Treatments

Massage & Cupping Combo: Truly the best of both worlds - this session gives you the skilled and targeted bodywork you need where you need it along with the effective decompression from static and slide cupping to obtain serious relief.  Excellent for chronic or stubborn neck. hip and back pain and tight IT bands in runners. If you want to try cupping but still want a massage- you don't have to choose - this session brings it all. 

$115 - 40 Minutes - Target Session

$140 - 60 Minutes 

$175 - 90 Minutes

$210 - 2 Hours

 

CBDeep Cupping & Massage Reset: Experience the decompressing power of stationary and slide cupping therapy combined with anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving therapeutic hemp extract oil. If your muscles are sore and overworked or just tend to hold onto tension more stubbornly, this is the treatment for you.

$125 - 40 Minutes - Target Session

$150 - 60 Minutes

$185 - 90 Minutes

$215- 2 Hours

 

Dynamic Deep Tissue Massage - Cupping Combo

A blend of Dynamic Deep Tissue Massage, (which includes Deep Tissue Massage, Lymphatic Drainage, Thai Table Massage, Neuromuscular Trigger Point Therapy and Myofascial Release) with a session focused on Cupping. All of these are bundled together in this unique Dynamic Deep Tissue Cupping Combo!

$125 - 40 Minutes - Target Session

$140 - 60 Minutes 

$175 - 90 Minutes

$230 - 2 Hours

 

WHAT OUR PATIENTS ARE SAYING

“Such a great experience…every time! They are sincerely concerned with the patients’ well being and their level of expertise is a necessity for all to experience.”

— CHERISE R.

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