A wonderful ancient technique has found its place in the modern world of healing. Massage Cupping bodywork is based on the common practice of Chinese cupping therapy, and the incredible results that this simple treatment produces have truly impressed those who experience its subtle power. By creating suction and negative pressure, Massage Cupping therapy is used to:
• soften tight muscles and tone attachments
• loosen adhesions and lift connective tissue
• bring hydration and blood flow to body tissues
• drain excess fluids and toxins by opening lymphatic pathways.

Massage Cupping bodywork is very versatile and can easily be modified to accomplish a range of techniques, from lymphatic drainage to deep tissue release. This complements many health modalities ranging from spa treatments to medical massage.

Massage Cupping bodywork is fun and result-oriented and the treatment feels great!

How is massage Cupping therapy accomplished? The cup is positioned over the area of the body to be treated and suction is created using a vacuum gun or bulb. The more traditional method involves inserting a flame into a glass cup to create the vacuum. The suction level can range from very light to heavy, and the movements performed by the therapist can be stimulating or sedating.

What is the difference between Massage Cupping bodywork and traditional Chinese cupping therapy? In Traditional Chinese Medicine, stationary cups are placed on the skin and left for a period of five to fifteen minutes, and the cups may also be moved over the area. The goal of Chinese cupping therapy is to move stagnation of blood and chi, disperse internal heat, and other applications based on Traditional Chinese Medical diagnostics. Traditional cupping therapies are also generally used in many cultures on both adults and children for respiratory conditions, pain relief, and multiple other uses in home health care.

Massage Cupping therapy is a more commonly used tool for massage therapists and other healthcare practitioners. Before applying the cup, the therapist will administer oil or lotion to facilitate smooth movement. The entire back may be treated, including the neck, shoulders, middle and lower back, and sacral area. The arms, hip and thigh areas may also be treated, and abdominal Massage Cupping bodywork feels just incredible. Almost every area of the body responds to this unique treatment.
How does Massage Cupping therapy feel? The sensation is truly incredible, often experienced as deep warmth and tingling sensation lasting long after the treatment has ended. The action on the nervous system is sedating, and people will often descend into a profound state of relaxation. The body comes alive, and a new ease of movement can truly be felt.

What are the benefits of Massage Cupping bodywork? Massage Cupping therapy is not an irritant to the skin or body. It draws the inflammation out, yet does not add to it. The skin will turn red with strong movements, indications that circulation has been brought to the surface. Increased local blood supply to the muscles and skin will bring nourishment and allow for toxins to be carried away via the veins. Conditions of chronic and acute pain can be relieved with minimal discomfort and tense muscles softened quickly and easily. Massage Cupping therapy is wonderfully effective as an addition to a Massage Therapy session.

Why should I request Massage Cupping bodywork? One of the most enjoyable aspects of experiencing this therapy is the incredibly wide range of movements. Creativity provides a variety of methods, while alteration of pressure and speed produces amazingly different sensations. The edge of the cup can be used to “scoop” in a cross fiber movement. Vigorous circles feel marvelous on the hips, thighs, and shoulders. Long strokes down the sides of the spine and along the ribs provide ease to rib cage expansion and breathing. Stubborn neck tension can be released in mere minutes and scar tissue softened using a “reverse friction” technique.

What is the discoloration that occurs after some treatments? There is a “marked” difference between traditional Chinese cupping therapy and Massage Cupping bodywork. The marks that are commonly left from the TCM treatments are the desired result. Massage Cupping therapy may cause a discoloration, called a “cup kiss”. If this appears during the treatment, it is just an added bonus indicating the release of intense stagnation( body fluids and toxins) in the area. This is NOT A BRUISE and will dissipate anywhere between a few hours and a few days. It is also unlikely that it will re-occur in the same area, and if it does re-occur it will be a lighter color.

Is Massage Cupping therapy safe? This technique is used safely on children, adults, and elderly persons. The most common misuse of Massage Cupping therapy is overuse. This is an intense therapy, and its impact on the body systems is significant. In particular, the elderly, children, and persons with diabetes and those on blood thinners should be treated very gently. After any Massage Cupping therapy treatment, it is important to avoid exposure to excessive heat or cold, and sufficient hydration is required to facilitate elimination. A complete assessment of specific conditions at the time of treatment must be taken into consideration by the practitioner.

Another effective application of Massage Cupping bodywork is in the treatment of cellulite. A very light suction provides drainage, while heavier application can be used to stimulate circulation and loosen adhesions or “dimpling.” The thighs and hip region should be treated prior to a wrapping procedure to enhance the absorption of product. Enjoy the feeling of warm, energized skin being painted with soothing algae, mud, or gel before being enveloped.

Massage Cupping bodywork seems easy to do, but it is not simple. To achieve maximum results safely, training is required. The current workshops are 22 hours to complete. When scheduling a treatment, look for a Certified Massage Cupping Practioner.( CMCP)

Written By Cathy Ulrich

Originally published in Body Sense magazine, Spring/Summer 2006. Copyright 2006. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.

I can’t tell you how glad I was to see your name in my calendar this week,” said Elaine as she rushed into my treatment room. “I’ve been really stressed at work — the timing’s perfect for a
session.”

“Any specific areas you want me to check today?” I asked.

“I guess mainly my neck and shoulders, whatever you find,” she said.

She lay down on the table, and we both took a deep breath as I gently contacted her neck with an open palm. Before long, she was breathing deeply, relaxed and calm, on the verge of sleep.

A single mom with teenagers, Elaine’s life revolves around work and caring for her kids with little time for herself — and very little time spent receiving touch from another human being. When a friend gifted her with a bodywork session a year before, Elaine found that this single session had done more for relieving her stress than a week’s vacation. Since then, she’s been coming regularly for monthly sessions. We work out the kinks in her body, but more importantly, she gets touch in a safe environment — nurturing that goes beyond getting rid of physical pain.

Bodywork and relaxation go together, but why? What is it about an hour-long bodywork session — even one focused on pain relief or structural alignment — that creates such a sense of well-being, calm, and energy? Why do we as human beings crave the touch of another?

Whether in giving or receiving, touch is as essential to human survival as is food. Infants deprived of touch, even when they are getting adequate nutrition, will fail to thrive. Elders isolated by loss of partners and friends become depressed not only because of the absence of social interaction, but also because of the simple loss of being touched.

We calm our pets by stroking them, we greet each other with a hug or a handshake, and we soothe our children by holding them. No other form of connection is as powerful and universal as touch.

Skin and the Brain
The adult human lives inside an envelope of about 18 square feet of skin. Every square inch houses thousands of nerve endings and various kinds of sensory receptors, all working to tell the brain about its surroundings. The cold of an ice cube, the softness of a cat’s fur, a warm breeze, the caress of a loved one — all of these feelings are possible because of our skin.

Oil versus water, hot versus cold, dull versus sharp, wet versus dry — our skin tells us about our environment and ourselves. When we touch something with our fingers, we’re not only sensing the object, we’re also feeling our own skin, our own boundaries.

In the first few days of an embryo’s life, the cells that eventually become a fully formed baby divide into three layers. The endoderm (inside layer) eventually becomes the internal organs, the mesoderm (middle layer) becomes the muscles and bones, and the ectoderm becomes the skin and nervous system. The brain and skin come from the same layer, and they develop together, not only before birth, but well into the first year of life.

When a baby is held, cuddled, and breast-fed, she’s getting crucial stimulation to build neural connections between her skin and her brain. By receiving touch from family or caregivers, she in turn learns how to touch and can then explore the world and her relationship to it. Touch during these early formative months builds our complex and sophisticated nervous system so that throughout life we can feel an extensive variety of textures and temperatures and be able to locate exactly where on our bodies this touch occurs.

Lab studies have shown that animals given regular stroking and petting develop larger brains, stronger bones and muscles, better immune systems, and remain healthier as adults than those deprived of touch when young.

Study after study has shown that touch is not only important for development, but is crucial to survival. James H.M. Knox of Johns Hopkins Hospital reported in 1915 that babies left in orphanages and given proper nutrition died at a rate of about 90 percent. Other studies of the same era confirmed these findings and showed that those babies who did survive were often mentally handicapped and stunted in their growth. These valuable studies helped institutions understand the importance of touch. When staff was added to provide enough time for each child to be held, handled, and touched, mortality rates dropped dramatically.

Touch and Children
Those early statistical studies showed how vital touch is to developing infants. Researchers are also finding that giving massage to premature infants can improve their growth and overall health. A study conducted by the Touch Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Miami found that when stable premature babies were given five, one-minute massages a day, they gained 47 percent more weight than their counterparts who didn’t get massage.

Many massage schools now offer courses in neonatal massage, and most hospitals include some kind of program to introduce nurturing touch to hospitalized infants. Here, nurses, therapists, and parents are trained to give massage to premature babies so they get the necessary stimulation for optimal development without stressing their delicate systems.

While most infant studies involve preemies, a 2001 study conducted by TRI showed that when mothers gave their infants a 15-minute massage before bedtime, these sleep-challenged kids went to sleep more quickly and were more alert during daytime hours. The list of studies goes on and on, but what’s most important to remember is that infants need touch to develop healthy nervous systems.

As kids grow up, they continue to need touch. Many school systems forbid teachers from touching kids for fear of litigation and the busy lifestyles of kids and working parents often keep kids from getting the touch they need.

Touch deprivation may lead to early and inappropriate sexual activity or inappropriate peer touching instead of wholesome touch from parents, grandparents, teachers, and friends. The 1980’s advertising campaign “Have you hugged your kid today?” still has relevance when viewed from this perspective.

Clinical research and sociological studies link touch deprivation with aggression. A 2002 study reported that adolescents with a history of aggressive behavior showed less aggression and were less anxious after receiving a 20-minute massage twice a week for five weeks.

Massage also reduces the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder so kids can concentrate better, and it’s even been found that the right kind of touch can help kids with autism relate better to teachers and family members.

Touch and Adults
Ongoing research by The Touch Research Institute continues to prove that massage is an important therapy for many conditions. After a massage, levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop in saliva tests, examinations show an improvement in alertness and relaxation, depression scores decrease, and mental focus improves.

The exponential growth of the bodywork field is a testament to the value of safe, therapeutic touch. Of course bodywork can play an essential role in the healing of specific chronic or acute orthopedic conditions, but it also serves as a powerful aide in improving the quality of life for adults.

My client, Stan, was going through a nasty divorce. His wife of several years announced that she no longer loved him. He had friends to support him emotionally, but it seemed that the thing he missed the most was the nurturing touch of his partner. When he finished his Rolfing series with me he seemed anxious about leaving my care.

I recommended that he continue getting regular massages with a massage therapist. “It’s really important that you get regular therapeutic touch through this process and, of course, keep working with your counselor,” I said.

A few months later, he called to give me a report: “I’m so glad you recommended Doris. I’ve seen her weekly while continuing with my counselor. We both agree that the massage has made the difference in helping me to get past all this. I would have never realized how important massage was had you not suggested it.”

We often equate the need for physical closeness with the need for sex, but anyone who’s been in a close, long-term relationship understands that as time goes by sex becomes less frequent, however the need for nurturing touch remains strong. For those not in a relationship, massage can be a healthy way to get that much-needed human contact.

Touch and Elders
Isolation, loss of loved ones, loss of home and independence — we often think of these things as primary causes of depression in the elderly, but what about the loss of human touch? People confined to nursing homes rarely get more than daily hygienic care and the stigma of touching elders seems to contribute to their physical isolation.

Elders need touch as much as infants, studies show that when they receive regular massage, the elderly have less depression and anxiety, experience better physical coordination, and show a decrease of stress hormone in their saliva. One study showed that elders who participated as volunteer grandparents in a program to give massage to abused infants experienced the same benefits as when they themselves received massage. Simply by giving touch, they were able to improve their own health.

Geriatric massage is a growing field requiring specialized training and many massage therapists offer it in their practices. Some nursing homes now provide massage to their residents. In my own work, I’ve found that elders respond as well to the bodywork, if not sometimes better, than their younger counterparts.

Touch for All Ages
I love to walk through a sculpture garden near my home. As I enjoy a sculpture, I’m reminded of our primal need for touch, as here and there I’ll see a spot of patina worn by the hands of numerous visitors. It’s as if by touching, we bring that object into our being in a way that helps us fully understand it.

Not only do we need to touch, we need to be touched. In the early months before babies learn about their hands, feet, toes and fingers, they need the touch of parents, caregivers, and family to develop. We retain that need our entire lives.

Remember to savor touch the next time you’re lying on a massage table. Your therapist is not only working out tight muscles, she’s contacting your entire nervous system, communicating with you, calming you through pathways that were put in place before you were born.

Cathy Ulrich is a bodyworker with more than 20 years of experience. She practices Rolfing and physical therapy in Colorado and can be contacted at cathy@circleofbeing.com.

1. Be as receptive and open to the massage process as possible.
2. Don’t eat just before a massage session.  Let your body digest your meal first.
3. Be on time. If you arrive in a frenzied, rushed state, it may take longer to relax.
4. Take off only as much clothing as you are comfortable removing.  If you don’t want to remove your clothing, wear clothing that will be comfortable during the massage and will allow the massage therapist to touch and move the areas of your body you expect will need to be massaged. Regarding privacy, the therapist will either leave the room or otherwise provide privacy while you undress. A sheet or towel is provided for draping during the massage and the therapist will uncover only the part of your body being massaged, ensuring that modesty is respected at all times. After the massage is finished, you will be provided with privacy while dressing.
5. Communicate with your massage therapist:
   • Before the session, give accurate health information and let the massage therapist know your expectations and reasons for the massage.
   • Allergies to Oils, Lotions, Powders – The therapist may use oil, lotion or powders to reduce friction on your skin.  If you are allergic to any oils, lotions or powders, tell your massage therapist, who can choose a substitute.
   • Some massage therapists play recorded music during the massage session. Others find music distracting. If it’s provided, let your massage therapist know if you have any music preferences or if you would prefer they turn off the music.
   • Some people like to talk during a massage, while others remain silent. Tell your massage therapist what you prefer.
   • During the massage session, report any discomfort, whether it’s from the massage or due to any problems or distractions related to the environment, e.g., room temperature, music volume, lighting, etc.
   • Give feedback to the massage therapist during the massage on the amount of pressure, speed of hand movement, etc.  If anything happens that you dislike or seems improper, you have the right to ask the massage therapist to stop.  If necessary, you also have the right to end the session.
   • Don’t be afraid to discuss any apprehensions or concerns. It’s important that you be as comfortable as possible during your massage. Your massage therapist is a professional dedicated to do his or her best to help you feel at ease.
6. Remember to breathe normally. Breathing helps facilitate relaxation. People often stop or limit their breathing when they feel anxious or a sensitive area is massaged.
7. Relax your muscles and your mind. Tightening up by contracting or hardening your muscles during the massage is counterproductive. Let your massage therapist know this is happening. They may need to adjust the massage technique they use and may also be able to help you relax the affected area. If you find your thoughts are racing during the massage, one way to be more body-centered and to quiet your mind is to follow the hands of the massage therapist and focus on how the touch feels.
8. Drink extra water after your massage.
9. Don’t get up too quickly and do allow for some open, quiet time after your massage session. If you’re dizzy or light headed after the massage, do not get off the table too fast. It also may take a little time to integrate or absorb the results of the massage session. 
10. Be prepared to schedule several massage sessions. Massage has its greatest benefits over time. The therapeutic effects of massage are cumulative, so the more often you get a massage, the better you will feel and the more quickly your body will respond. From one session to the next, relaxation deepens as the chronic patterns of stress in the body are affected and released. If you’re getting massage to address chronic muscular tension or recovery from a soft tissue injury, more than one session is usually needed.