Do you remember watching the 2016 Summer Olympics and wondering, “what are those red dots all over Michael Phelps?”
Trust us you aren’t alone. Phelps along with other swimmers at the Rio Olympics were “spotted” having red dots covering their bodies making them look like they were badly bruised. Don’t worry, those aren’t bruises, they are marks that come from an ancient healing technique known as “cupping therapy.”
Now, this form of treatment may seem popular right now but the truth is that it’s been one of the oldest forms of healing for centuries. Let’s go into more details on just why cupping therapy is so effective and the advantages of using it to help with recovery.
What Is Cupping Therapy?
Cupping therapy is a technique that has been widely used by many cultures for thousands of years to help with discomfort and pain. When we suffer an injury or our muscle have been extensively used, toxins or cell waste become stagnant in the muscles or joints and our body has a difficult time disposing of these toxins and that’s when we experience pain.
What cupping therapy does, is it typically involves a therapist placing plastic or silicone cups on your skin and creating a suction or vacuum that pulls stagnant blood toxins to the surface that have fallen out of healthy circulation.
What Are The Red Marks?
As far as the marks that you see after cupping therapy is complete, they are a result of having toxins pulled up to the skin. The marks will typically disappear after about three weeks. They may look harmful but you may just feel some slight discomfort or a pulling sensation, most patients tolerate the treatment very well.
What Are The Advantages of Cupping Therapy?
At Ferrell-Whited, we treat a variety of injuries and when it comes to chronic pain and muscle discomfort, we highly recommend patients trying cupping therapy. Here are some of the ways cupping therapy can benefit your physical well-being.
Reduces Muscle and Joint Pain
Pain relief is one of the main reasons patients choose to do cupping therapy. If you experience chronic joint pain or sore muscles, cupping therapy can provide much-needed pain relief.
How? The cupping will target deep tissues and flush out stagnant blood toxins and dead cells that may be causing the pain. It helps the designated pain areas receive fresh blood circulation that relaxes the tensed muscles and tissues. Patients will experience less pain and stiffness and also have a sense of relaxation.
Recover From Injuries
We recommend cupping therapy to help the healing process for a variety of injuries. When you suffer from an injury, what happens is the area is flooded with damaged cells, tissues are damaged, fluid builds up, swelling occurs, and our muscles are starving for healthy blood circulation. Cupping therapy breaks capillaries near the skin and this brings nutrients and oxygen to the damaged cells and improves blood flow to the areas where it’s needed the most. Swelling will go down and tissues will begin the healing process.
Helps Diagnose The Issue
Cupping therapy can be used to better understand the exact location of where pain is coming from. It can determine if the problem is toxin build-up, muscle spasm, or something else. The wrea with the most significant amount of stagnation will have the deepest amount of color. This tells us the areas that will need treatment.
Are You Ready To Try Cupping Therapy?
At Ferrell-Whited, our main goal is to making you feel back to your normal self and doing the things you love. Cupping therapy is a highly effective way to relax your muscles and reduce pain and discomfort from injured areas. That’s why we offer cupping therapy at all five of our locations.
If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment or have more questions about cupping therapy, contact us today!