Records are broken almost each year, and competition has been tougher than ever in today’s sports. In order to become faster, stronger and swifter, athletes have to train harder. As a result, their bodies take a lot of punishment and it takes a considerable time for them to recover. After competitions and practices, these athletes oftentimes need a faster time to recover. Most of them go for massage therapies to heal their bodies faster and return them into tip-top shape in no time at all.
What Is Sports Cupping Massage?
Having been around for some time, sports massage has become a regular healing technique for almost all athletes and active people. These include fitness enthusiasts, recreational runners, and gym goers. One branch of massage therapy that is slowly gaining popularity is a method called cupping massage. At first, some individuals were shocked to see round purple bruise like marks on the bodies of some Olympic athletes. They were eventually informed that those marks mean that the athletes have gone through cupping massage therapy. This healing technique helps sore tissue and muscles recover faster. It is also used to relieve joint pain and respiratory disorders among others.
How Does Cupping Massage Therapy Work?
Cupping is so named because glass cups are used in the therapy, which is commonly made from silicone, glass, or plastic used and applied onto the body of a person. The glass comes in different shapes and sizes and is applied into different body parts. A cupping massage therapist uses the cups in one of two ways. One is through suction, utilizing a suction handle and the other is through a flammable substance such as alcohol to create negative suction inside the cup. Both procedures work well. The objective of the treatment is to suction air out of a glass. This creates negative pressure inside the cup and when applied to the body, pulls the skin inside the cup. Suction handles are now more commonly used. They are used right to the valve of the cup helping maintain the suction movement. Cups are applied at sites of restriction or adhesion, which is easily determined by any massage therapist. Depending on the effect the massage therapist wants to achieve, after the cups have been applied to the patient’s body, they are moved around the affected body parts or remain in one place. Before the cups are used, a lubricant such as cocoa butter may be applied to the treatment area to generate more surface tension.
What transpires during a session of massage cupping therapy?
Being a decompressive process, cupping massage pulls tissues gently apart so that the body can create more space between the tissue layers. The human body is structured into several layers like our skin. Underneath, there is the muscle layer, a deeper layer of myofascial, a fatty layer, and then a myofascial layer. When you become injured or stressed, some of your body parts become locked or fixated to each other and you acquire adhesions, which causes tissue inflammation. Cupping can be a way to treat and open up those sites. The circulation of blood is increased to the cupping area and a negative pull occurs inside the cup. The cups typically remain in the patient’s body for several minutes. This process is used many times alongside other massage treatments or therapies. While it might appear painful, the therapy may feel like a nice stretch and relaxes the muscles as well.
Who Can Administer Cupping Massage therapy?
A certified massage therapist can legally administer cupping massage therapy. This healing technique is widely sought by gymnasts and swimmers. It can be used by everyone and is a natural way to allow the body to heal itself. World-class sports competitors have been using this therapy for years, which definitely says a lot about its benefits. Chances are it will generate excellent benefits to your body!
Enliven Health and Wellness
4207 Gardendale Suite B103
San Antonio, TX 78229
(210) 999-5579
https://enlivenhealth.org