Cupping: The Massage Technique That’s Gripping The Nation

Today, your massage therapist earns an average wage of $46 an hour for all massage-related work. That’s because the modern massage therapist must be familiar with a wide variety of techniques, from therapeutic sports massage to relaxing couples massages. In fact, to stay up to date, many massage practitioners must take massage therapy CEU courses (Continuing Education Unit courses). While there are many types of massage to learn, one massage technique in particular is getting a lot of attention this year — cupping.

Thanks to positive word of mouth and celebrity athletes promoting the practice on social media, more and more people are discovering cupping massages. While cupping may seem bizarre at first, people all over the world have fallen in love with this ancient massage technique.

Massage Therapy: What Is Cupping?

Cupping is the use of suction on a patient’s skin to reduce pain and inflammation and increase blood flow and relaxation. In the most traditional form of cupping, heated cups are placed on the client’s skin, usually on the back. Inside the cup, a vacuum effect draws the skin, tissue, and blood vessels upwards into the cup. Many athletes believe that cupping can help reduce pain and improve circulation, and it’s a popular form of massage therapy around the world. After the treatment, cupping leaves distinctive red suction marks on the skin.

Cupping has been endorsed by many celebrities including Olympic legend Michael Phelps. However, it is not a new form of massage therapy. In fact, the practice of cupping originated in ancient China. Today, it is a vital part of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is performed by Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists in accordance with traditional Chinese medicinal theory.

So, How Does Cupping Work?

There are several different forms of cupping. In the most common version, a specialized cup is lit on fire using a flammable substance. When the fire goes out, the cup is placed upside down on the patient’s back. As the air contained in the cup drops in temperature, a vacuum is created and the pressure pulls the skin up. When the cup is left in place for a few minutes, the patient’s blood vessels to expand.

Today, cupping is often taught in massage therapy courses with a more modern twist. In mechanical cupping, air pumps are used to create the suction. While pumps are used instead of heat, overall this form of massage therapy remains largely unchanged.

Why Choose Panda Massage CEU for Your Cupping Massage Therapy Continuing Education

Massage therapists interested in learning the ancient art of cupping can visit our online massage course list to sign up for a class today. All of our courses are designed and taught by nationally certified and acclaimed massage therapists who have been in the industry for many years. This will give you the confidence that you’ll not only be getting the necessary certification but also a genuinely helpful education. Our cupping course will cover: complementary and alternative therapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, western applications of the cupping technique, history of the cupping technique, and more.

Still looking for massage online CEU courses? Reach out to us today for a full list of available massage CEU courses.