Cupping involves the use of a small cup to apply suction to specific areas of the body. There are a variety of types of cups that practitioners use. I mainly use fire cupping in this practice, which involves using fire to create the vacuum prior to placing on the skin.

Cups can remain in place or they can be moved in a massage-like fashion to break up fascia, alleviate muscle tension encourage blood flow and sedate the nervous system.

Cupping often creates circular bruising that may last anywhere from a day or two to over a couple of weeks. This is expected and shouldn’t cause any concern. The color of the bruising and how long it lasts can help give clues about your clinical picture.