Cupping

Cupping is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine that uses small “cups” and heat on the body to focus blood flow in an area. Focused blood flow helps your body by flushing built-up toxins through the lymphatic system. Cupping is a deep tissue massage, much like Gua Sha, but works deeper in your muscles and fascia.

What to Expect

After a session using cupping, you may have circular marks on your skin from the cups. These marks are a normal part of the process and will go away within 24–48 hours.

Gua Sha

Gua sha ("gwah shah") is a common practice in Traditional Chinese Medicine that is used to get blood moving again so your body can recover from injuries and overuse. Massage oil or lotion is applied to the skin of the area to be treated. A smooth-edged instrument is used by the therapist to apply short or long strokes on the skin, typically in the area of pain or on the back parallel to the spine. This stroking motion creates raised redness or bruise-like marks (but not bruises) as the blood is restored to the painful area. These marks usually fade within 2–4 days.

Aftercare

To get the most benefit from cupping or gua sha, stay dry and warm after your session and avoid showering for about 12 hours.