WHAT IS CUPPING THERAPY?

Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine and has been around for thousands of years. Cupping is based on the belief that certain health problems can be caused by stagnant blood and poor energy flow through your body.

To reduce or prevent those health issues, cupping practitioners apply cups—typically glass or silicone—to your skin to create a pressure that sucks your skin inward. The pressure that the cups create draws blood to the affected area, increasing your blood flow overall.

Cupping Therapy in Okotoks

WHAT CONDITIONS CAN BE TREATED?

  • Chronic pain
  • Neck pain, back pain, and headaches
  • Musculoskeletal pain
  • Relieving inflammation in the area
  • It May be helpful in treating the more physical manifestations of stress

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Cupping has been shown to increase a patient’s movement and flexibility, rapidly facilitating the release of soft tissue, drain stagnant areas, break up cross-linkage between tissue layers, and promote circulation, hydration. and lymphatic drainage. They may also use it to ease the symptoms of colds and flu by stimulating the immune system.

WHAT IS MYOFASCIAL CUPPING THERAPY?

  • Myofascial cupping is a safe intervention into soft tissue by creating negative pressure or suction on the skin. The approach uses plastic or glass cups: when the pressure in the cup is reduced either by heat or suction, it pulls up underlying tissues, blood, and fluids close to the surface of the skin. In the myofascial release treatment, therapists concentrate on the myofascial area where it feels stiff and fixed, called “trigger point” by checking under light pressure.
  • The cups are applied on affected areas and moved around in a gliding motion. In order to move the cups easily and smoothly, oil is applied previously. Then cups are placed on the skin where the tender muscles are, where the trigger points are, and where the acupressure points are, to release fascial pain.
  • During the cupping process, blood is drained from vessels and into the tissues through cupping. The body believes that it’s been injured, so in theory it stimulates a positive inflammatory response to mobilise antibodies against the area to cure it.
  • There are 2 types of cupping, the first one is dry cupping which is a suction-only approach, another one is wet cupping involving both suction and controlled medical bleeding. Also, the cups can be made of glass, plastic or silicone, and some of them have squeezable bulbs at one end, some have a manual pump attached to create suction.

WHAT IS FASCIA?

Our body’s fascial tissue is the connective tissue which is made up of elastin, collagen and a polysaccharide gel-like substance that is called the ground substance. This connective tissue creates a three-dimensional web or netlike system throughout the entire body, and this fascial system supports, protects and connects every muscle, nerve, organ, bone and every cell in our body. This three-dimensional weblike tissue system is alive and changes as the body demands. 

The fascial is like a tight and strengthening sweater which, if restricted in a certain area, will cause change of movement patterns in other areas of the body. This in turn can lead to pain or joint compression or injury. Myofascial release techniques aim to release tension or pressure of fascialrestrictive patterns in order to regain normal range of motion and body function. 

Fascia is made up of 2 main parts:

  • Cells (fibroblasts mostly)
  • Extracellular matrix
  • The cells are important but we are more concerned about the extracellular matrix.

WHAT IS THE BENEFITS OF MYOFASCIAL CUPPING THERAPY?
Advantages for chronic pain

  • Essentially, the cupping therapeutic benefits have been verified for many years. The treatment has been developed in reducing in pain intensity and disability.  Moreover, it reduces the recurrence rate of pain therefore enhancing quality of life.  Nowadays, cupping is an integrative therapy in modern medicine which can combine with healthcare plans for chronic pain.
  • Besides that, cupping therapy warms up the surface temperature of skin and diminishes systematic blood pressure.
  • Consequently, cupping therapy plays a crucial role in addressing chronic pain, as a popular modality, for instance nonspecific neck pain, low back pain, shoulder pain, knee osteoarthritis. It can also increase pressure-pain thresholds.

Other benefits of myofascial cupping :

  • Stimulate blood flow
  • Drain lymph and cellular debris
  • Separate layers of connective tissues
  • Relieve tightness
  • Relieve deep muscular tissues and ease muscle spams
  • Develop range of movement and flexibility in joint

Do I need a doctor's referral to book an appointment?

A referral from a doctor is no longer needed before seeing a physiotherapist. You may be asked by your insurance company to get a referral before seeing a physiotherapist, but it is not common. People are usually able to schedule an appointment directly with the physiotherapist.

 
At The Physio Care we ensure that our customers are able to book appointments in the way that is comfortable for them

Physiotherapy, Massage, Chiropractor Okotoks, High River AB
South Calgary, Black Diamond & Turner Valley

The Physio Care Okotoks- Physiotherapy,  Chiropractic & Massage is off of Highway 2A and Southridge Drive Okotoks. We’re right Fatburger Okotoks, Ricky’s Okotoks opposite to Sobeys Pharmacy Okotoks. Located near Scotiabank Okotoks, Canadian Tire Okotoks and Walmart Okotoks. In the same parking lot as Ricky’s Okotoks and Fatburger Okotoks.

Our convenient location is just 10 minutes from Black Diamond and Turner Valley, and 15 minutes from High River and Calgary. We have plenty of parking available.