What is Cupping Therapy

What is Cupping Therapy Benefits for Athletes

Scottsdale, AZ – Why do you see Michael Phelps and other Olympic athletes with cupping marks at the Olympic Games in Rio 2016? What is all this cupping therapy hype about? Cupping used with athletes focuses on releasing restrictions between fascia and muscles.  It improves flexibility and range of motion, when placed properly on the athlete. The improvements in biomechanics can be quite impressive.

When you see athletes, like Phelps with cupping marks around his shoulders, it makes sense, because a swimmer needs optimal shoulder range of motion to perform at his level.

The Olympic Games Rio 2016 is not the first time cupping therapy has been used with athletes to improve sports performance. We have been using it for a few years, and we adopted this great tool from experts in sports medicine that were using it for decades.

There is a difference between ancient Chinese medicine that is still very alive today and cupping therapy for biomechanics and orthopedics. I personally, do not use fire cups, nor do I know any sports medicine professionals that use fire cupping for orthopedic reasons. We use suction cups. There are some pretty gross pictures of cups filled with blood when you search cupping on the internet. Cupping for the use of improving athletes biomechanics do not bleed into the cups. Some times their are bruise-like cupping marks left, and other times there is no mark at all. Also, cups are only on for 30 seconds to 3 minutes with the focus on getting the muscle to glide better under the fascia.

Also, cupping is not for everyone or every muscle. Cupping is only one tool in our toolbox. It is important to know this is not an end all to any type of injury or limitation. This is an excellent tool to usually start muscles working optimally, but many more tools have to then be utilized in combination to get the full benefits.  Quite often, those that have cupping done to them will feel amazingly “free” when they complete their first session, but don’t quit with just cupping as your only therapy method.

Speak to your health care professional, whom is knowledgeable in cupping, and get a full assessment and commit to the entire treatment plan to benefit fully from cupping.  Call Efficient Movement Sports Medicine & Performance Center in Scottsdale, Arizona to get started with a free assessment to learn if your body can benefit from cupping (480) 543-8191.

www.EfficientMovement.com

 

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