For the past week, it has felt like someone stabbed me in the left glute with Rambo’s knife, then dragged its serrated edge down the length of my left leg. In other words, like millions of other Americans, I am experiencing sciatic nerve pain (aka sciatica). It’s due to a herniated disk in my lower back that’s clamping down on a nerve root, and frankly, it fucking hurts.
Which is why I am now lying facedown on a massage bed at Worksong, a small clinic in Brooklyn, NY, that specializes in Chinese medicine. The vibe here is decidedly tree-hugger chic. It’s the kind of place with a “give what you can” payment structure and plenty of green tea and Deepak Chopra books in the waiting room. But I’m trying to keep an open mind. My shirt is off, and I’ve got six glasses arranged on my lower back, lightly tugging at my skin. It’s a treatment known as cupping, and I’m hoping it will alleviate this (literal) pain in my ass. If you, too, are wondering whether cupping is the answer to your body’s problems, read on.
6 Things to Know About Cupping Therapy
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What It Is
Practiced in China and elsewhere for centuries, cupping is a type of therapy that places small glass or plastic cups on the body using suction. The suction is derived from either a hand pump attached to the tops of the cups (the more common method these days, due to convenience) or a flame quickly placed within the cup, which creates a vacuum when the trapped air begins to cool. The latter is the old-school method known as “fire cupping.” Think: Michael Phelps at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
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How It Works
“Cupping works similarly to massage,” says Max Annis, a licensed acupuncturist and my cupping technician at Worksong. “But rather than pushing and applying pressure to muscles, the cups gently pull muscles up into the cup.” Oftentimes, a massage oil is applied to the areas where the cups are placed, which allows the practitioner to perform “gliding cupping”—gracefully moving the cups along the areas of pain or blockage.“Cupping encourages blood flow, muscle relaxation, and sedation of the nervous system,” Annis tells me. “It can release toxins and get energy flowing through areas of blockage—areas up to four inches below the skin’s surface—and it usually feels quite calming to the patient.”
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When to Do It
Cupping is used most often for neck and back pain, especially pain caused by athletic strain or injury. “Stiff or spasming muscles anywhere in the body can be effectively targeted with cupping,” Annis says. “It’s especially effective in combination with acupuncture, which opens up the body’s acupuncture channels and relaxes the patient.” Cupping may also benefit the lungs—clearing congestion and controlling asthma—and help the body fight off colds.In this type of therapy (used extensively in Europe), cups are placed on the upper back and chest to draw out toxins and break up congestions and “stagnations.”
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Where to Do It
Licensed acupuncturists are probably the best practitioners to seek out for cupping therapy, as cupping is covered thoroughly in acupuncture school. You can also try a cupping kit (sold with extension tubes for self-application), although those are far from ideal. “It’s better to be able to relax completely on a massage table and for the application to be performed and monitored by a trained professional,” Annis says.
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How Often to Do It
In general, one cupping session per week is a solid pace. Cups should not be placed over areas that remain bruised, notes Annis, and any marks left from a previous cupping session should be completely faded before cups are reapplied to that area. Generally, the darker the bruise left by a cup, the more stagnation in that area.“After repeated sessions, the darkness of the bruises will begin to lighten, and the patient will feel less pain and recover more quickly,” says Annis, who adds that multiple sessions are usually needed. “It takes time for your body to heal in a natural way, but addressing the root causes of issues is much healthier in the long run than masking them with painkillers, which often cause feedback loops of pain and temporary relief.”
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Conclusion
I’ve done cupping a half-dozen times now, and I would characterize myself as a hesitant believer. I always leave Worksong feeling better (walking more fluidly, with less discomfort), and my sciatica situation has improved dramatically over the past month. (Granted, there may be other factors, such as my decision to start using a standing desk at work.)But cupping has plenty of critics—including many with medical degrees. They argue that there’s little scientific research behind the treatment and that any perceived benefits are likely due to a placebo effect. Some even argue that the bruising is a constant reminder of the treatment, which only reinforces the placebo effect. To which I say: Hey, whatever works.
Practiced in China and elsewhere for centuries, cupping is a type of therapy that places small glass or plastic cups on the body using suction. The suction is derived from either a hand pump attached to the tops of the cups (the more common method these days, due to convenience) or a flame quickly placed within the cup, which creates a vacuum when the trapped air begins to cool. The latter is the old-school method known as “fire cupping.” Think: Michael Phelps at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
How It Works
“Cupping works similarly to massage,” says Max Annis, a licensed acupuncturist and my cupping technician at Worksong. “But rather than pushing and applying pressure to muscles, the cups gently pull muscles up into the cup.” Oftentimes, a massage oil is applied to the areas where the cups are placed, which allows the practitioner to perform “gliding cupping”—gracefully moving the cups along the areas of pain or blockage.
“Cupping encourages blood flow, muscle relaxation, and sedation of the nervous system,” Annis tells me. “It can release toxins and get energy flowing through areas of blockage—areas up to four inches below the skin’s surface—and it usually feels quite calming to the patient.”
When to Do It
Cupping is used most often for neck and back pain, especially pain caused by athletic strain or injury. “Stiff or spasming muscles anywhere in the body can be effectively targeted with cupping,” Annis says. “It’s especially effective in combination with acupuncture, which opens up the body’s acupuncture channels and relaxes the patient.” Cupping may also benefit the lungs—clearing congestion and controlling asthma—and help the body fight off colds.
In this type of therapy (used extensively in Europe), cups are placed on the upper back and chest to draw out toxins and break up congestions and “stagnations.”
Where to Do It
Licensed acupuncturists are probably the best practitioners to seek out for cupping therapy, as cupping is covered thoroughly in acupuncture school. You can also try a cupping kit (sold with extension tubes for self-application), although those are far from ideal. “It’s better to be able to relax completely on a massage table and for the application to be performed and monitored by a trained professional,” Annis says.
How Often to Do It
In general, one cupping session per week is a solid pace. Cups should not be placed over areas that remain bruised, notes Annis, and any marks left from a previous cupping session should be completely faded before cups are reapplied to that area. Generally, the darker the bruise left by a cup, the more stagnation in that area.
“After repeated sessions, the darkness of the bruises will begin to lighten, and the patient will feel less pain and recover more quickly,” says Annis, who adds that multiple sessions are usually needed. “It takes time for your body to heal in a natural way, but addressing the root causes of issues is much healthier in the long run than masking them with painkillers, which often cause feedback loops of pain and temporary relief.”
Conclusion
I’ve done cupping a half-dozen times now, and I would characterize myself as a hesitant believer. I always leave Worksong feeling better (walking more fluidly, with less discomfort), and my sciatica situation has improved dramatically over the past month. (Granted, there may be other factors, such as my decision to start using a standing desk at work.)
But cupping has plenty of critics—including many with medical degrees. They argue that there’s little scientific research behind the treatment and that any perceived benefits are likely due to a placebo effect. Some even argue that the bruising is a constant reminder of the treatment, which only reinforces the placebo effect. To which I say: Hey, whatever works.
