One of our registered massage therapists, Glynis Barabash, is happy to announce that she is now offering a new service to our clients: Myofascial Cupping.
“What is Cupping?” you might ask. Myofascial Massage Cupping is a bodywork technique adapted from traditional Chinese fire cupping, which uses suction and negative pressure to loosen and release fascia & muscles and draw out toxins. Only unlike fire cupping, Massage Cupping doesn’t generally leave dark purple marks, and doesn’t use fire.
What is Fascia and what is Myofascial Release?
Fascia is a tough connective tissue enveloping every cell from head to toe like a three-dimensional spider web. It flexibly supports all structures of the body. Injury, trauma, muscle imbalances and poor posture can cause these fascial fibers to tighten, shorten, thicken and adhere, putting inappropriate pressure on nerves, muscles, blood vessels, bones, organs and the brain.
The consequences are often pain, restriction of motion and structural misalignment. Sadly, modern medicine tends to micromanage symptoms, looking at the muscles, bones and organs in isolation, generally ignoring the significance of the global system that connects it all together. I’ve found that releasing fascial tissue restrictions can often be the missing link in resolving long-standing chronic cases of pain and dysfunction. The technique can be described as applying sustained pressure into the fascial barrier, allowing permanent elongation of the tissues.
As additional fascial layers are released, the patient gains greater flexibility resulting in decreased pain, enhanced daily activities of living, superior athletic performance in sport, increased ease of movement and improved structural balance & integrity. This advanced massage technique is referred to as Myofascial Release as “myo” implies muscle and “fascia” implies the connective tissue that supports it, however restrictions in this continuous web has implications on all body systems. Myofascial Cupping is a type of Myofascial Release where cups are suctioned to the skin creating a negative pressure resulting in a broad release to the area under and around the cup
The result is negative pressure, as opposed to the positive pressure of pushing into the muscles. Cupping allows the muscles to open, let go, and relax literally by opening up space that wasn’t there before.
After the cups are placed, they can either be left stationary, or moved along a muscle or meridian. Waiting allows the space to open, while gliding produces a similar effect to traditional massage, only with the added benefits of negative pressure.
This technique can be very effective with chronic issues that nothing else seems to help, or when someone has relief with regular massage therapy that doesn’t last. Often the tissues are ‘warmed up’ using the cupping technique and then therapeutic massage or relaxation can follow. “Ahhhhhmazing….”
Direct billing available to many insurance companies. Call 780-485-1404 to book now.
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