Contemporary Cupping

A few weekends back I spent two days revolutionising my massage therapy practice!

I've been introduced to Contemporary Cupping (CC), by Bruce Bentley of Health Traditions.

Some of you might have experienced traditional cupping, as it's been around for several hundred years mainly in Asia and Eastern European cultures (Russia, Turkey etc). This style of cupping uses a vessel (cup) either heated or using a pump to create a suction against the skin an, predominantly fixed in one location. This style of cupping leave marks of different colours like you've been attacked by an alien.

CC, although it does use fixed cups, focuses on SLIDING cups and use rubber cups and a smallher hand-blown glass bell with simple air suction. It's fantastic for stimulating the circulation and can be rather gentle for warming the muscles up or extremely strong to break down scar tissue and unlock spasms.

From the recipients view it's the exact opposite to deep tissue hand massage, where your therapist uses his/her hand/arm to push into the muscle. In fact, in America, it's called Negative Pressure Massage Cupping (ho hum).

With CC the skin and near muscle fibres are sucked upwards and can be moved in 360 degrees, pulled in one direction only or, using two cups worked in opposite directions. Cupping can be as deep as needed but can also be extremely gentle and with tiny cups rejuventating facial cupping can be received (with no discolouration!).

Having had my back treated with sliding cups, I was asked what it felt like. My response? It felt like I'd drunk a bottle of red wine and was sat in front of an open fire! A truthful answer but probably not the clinical response expected.

Enjoy!