13/10/2025
What Is Cupping and How Does It Work?
Cupping is a therapy that uses suction cups on the skin to target areas of tension or restriction. It’s been used for centuries and is now often integrated into modern remedial and sports treatments.
There are two main styles:
⚪️ Static cupping – the cups stay in one place. This can help increase local blood flow, ease muscle tension, and promote relaxation.
💪 Active (functional) cupping – the cups are applied while either the therapist passively moves you through range, or you actively move yourself through range. This can help improve mobility, tissue glide, and coordination during movement.
Beyond improving circulation, cupping also influences muscle tone and pain modulation by stimulating sensory receptors in the skin and fascia. This input helps the nervous system recalibrate how it perceives tension and discomfort — often leading to a feeling of reduced tightness and improved ease of movement.
Research also suggests that cupping can create a mild, short-term inflammatory response in the area. This can help support local tissue healing and adaptation by increasing oxygen delivery and promoting cellular repair processes.
The marks that sometimes appear aren’t bruises or toxins — they’re simply a temporary change in blood flow and usually fade within a few days.
Cupping is one tool among many. When used appropriately, it can complement remedial treatment, help reduce tightness, and support recovery.
