What is Dry Cupping?
Dry Cupping Therapy is an old traditional therapy which are used to relief pain or muscles spasm. Physical therapist places the cups to the patient affected area and suction up the soft tissue. Dry cupping can be given on the neck, back, knees, stomach, foot and other parts of the body.
Benefits of Dry Cupping
There are a lot of benefits to myofascial dry cupping therapy.
- It helps to increase fresh blood flow into the area that’s being cup placed or pumped.
- It also helps to reduce muscle spasm and increase range of motion.
- Dry cupping is very helpful in swelling and tissues injury.
- Dry cupping also used in gastrointestinal disorders.
What condition can Dry Cupping treat?
Dry cupping can treat a various types of problems. Physical therapist are using this technique in different types of muscles pain. But cupping therapy needs more studies related with benefits. Cupping therapy can help with following problems;
- Cervical or Neck pain
- Frozen shoulder
- Lower back pain
- Knee pain
- Fascial paralysis or stroke
- Rheumatic arthritis
- Acne
Procedure of Dry Cupping
Apply the lotion or oil in the affected area. Place the cup in painful area. Now suction up the tissue. Remove the cups after three to four minutes. After that, give the massage gently in that area.
What should I expect after Cupping?
The suction up the tissue from cupping opens the tiny blood vessels under the skin. You can see the red rounded circles and it usually goes in three to four days.
Complications of Dry Cupping Therapy
Cupping is the comparatively low-risk therapy. But, you may suffer these;
- Fatigue and headache (when you receiving cupping therapy on neck).
- Skin infections or itching.
- Muscles soreness
- Burns from heated cup
How dry cupping helps physical therapist
It is really beneficial to the physiotherapist because it’s time saving. Physical therapist can treat multiple body parts at the same time. Normally physiotherapist puts the cups in one part and at the same time mobilize the other body part by hand. It helps to increase more blood flow and reduce stress in muscles in that area. This technique also helps the patients to release the tension in different body parts in one session.
Precaution
Those patient who are dealing with swelling, do not apply the cup directly over the swelling or edema. You can apply the cup to the outer edges of the swollen area. It will help you drainage or increasing the blood flow in that area.
