The most common misunderstanding regarding one of the most powerful and beneficial after effects of cupping is the marks that sometimes result.
When injuries take place deep in the muscle, bleeding often occurs causing deep bruises. There will also be edema in the area involving the coagulation of sticky proteins. The combining presence of these elements usually results in stagnation of circulation of the area – resulting in pain, dysfunction, and chronic conditions.
The vacuum formed by Cupping draws up the old non-circulating stagnant blood and sticky fluids from the area, bringing them up to the surface and away from the injury so that healthy free circulation can be restored to the affected area, thus make space for oxygen, living cells and nutrients for faster recovery.
Where there is dead, static blood, lymph, cellular debris, pathogenic factors, and toxins present in the body, Cupping can leave marks which indicates that the stagnation or disease has been moved from the deeper tissue layers to the surface.
In many countries – this is a non-issue; they’ve experienced themselves the amazing detoxifying effects suction therapy can provide. But in some industrialized countries where Allopathic Medicine still over shadows more holistic, natural approaches, these surface discolorations are misinterpreted as damage rather than result of debilitating agents being drawn to the surface. Westerns also live in an image conscience society that also has a heightened sensitivity to domestic abuse so without sufficient understanding some people are unnerved upon seeing this important after effect.
Once people understand what these marks are, and feel the results, the concerns disappear.
The color and pattern of the marks depend on the level of stagnation in the area, and range from a bright red to dark purple, usually lasting three days to a week. Sometimes longer if the person is very sick or sedentary. If there is no stagnation present, there will be only a light pink mark which disappears in a few minutes to a couple of hours. Sites where there is old trauma or injury may require multiple cupping sessions to remove all stagnation. You will find in follow up sessions the marks will be visibly lighter and lighter as the pathogens are systemically removed from the body.
The chemicals used in the pools that these athletes train and compete in for many hours every day is highly toxic. Cupping draws these toxins out of the body which would otherwise lead to stagnation, blood poison, pain and dysfunction.
Many athletes turn to cupping on a regular basis to detoxify and enhance their performance.
Many unfamiliar to Cupping Therapy refer to the Cup Marks as Bruises. In our society Bruising is considered an injury.
Bruising is caused by impact trauma with breakage of capillaries and a reactionary rush of fluids to the damaged location from the tissue injury. There is no compression in correctly performed suction cup therapy. Although it is quite common during Stationary Dry Cupping (left static for 5-20 minutes – see below) to achieve dramatic “marks” or “discolorations”, the less aggressive action of moving the cups, minimizes the intensity and duration of the discolorations.
Often, when a condition exists within deeper structures where sufficient pathologic factors and stagnant fluids (toxins, blood and lymph) are dredged up during treatment, discoloration will appear on the epidermis. As sessions cumulate and the release of stagnation and buildup has been released, dispersed and drained – (sometimes quickly after the 2nd session) no discoloration is likely to occur at all – even though each time the cupping may have been focused on the same area, for the same duration, and with the same amount of suction. This action is clearly the result of having internal unwanted toxins systematically purged.
