Cupping Therapy
Cupping uses negative pressure to decompress tight muscle and fascia, restore blood flow, and free up restricted movement. It is a direct, hands on way to loosen tissue that will not let go.
How It Works
Most hands on therapy presses down into tissue. Cupping does the opposite. Suction cups lift the skin and the fascia underneath, creating space in tissue that has become compressed and stuck.
That lift does a few things at once. It decompresses tight muscle and the fascia that wraps it, which releases adhesions and restrictions that limit movement. It pulls fresh blood into the area, which supports recovery. And it gives the nervous system a strong signal that helps the muscle let go of a holding pattern.
The circular marks cupping can leave are not bruises from injury. They are a temporary sign of increased circulation in the area, and they fade within a few days.
What It Treats
What To Expect
We find the tight or restricted tissue and decide where the cups will do the most good.
The cups stay in place for several minutes, or we may glide them across the muscle. You will feel a firm pulling sensation that most patients find relieving.
Circular marks are normal and not painful. They reflect increased circulation and fade within a few days.
You return to normal activity right away. Cupping often pairs well with acupuncture in the same visit.
What We Treat
Most manual therapy pushes into tissue. Cupping lifts it. That difference matters for anything stuck, scarred, or restricted.
The most common request. Desk work, driving, and phone posture load the upper back and the tissue eventually stops gliding. Cupping decompresses the layers so they move independently again, which often relieves tension headaches along with the tightness.
Low backs that feel locked rather than sharply painful usually involve restricted fascia over the lumbar region and hips. Cupping across the area restores mobility in a way that stretching alone rarely achieves.
Lateral thigh and hip tightness that returns no matter how much you foam roll. Lifting the fascia away from the muscle addresses the adhesion directly instead of compressing it further.
Cupping along the calf and foot reduces the tension pulling on the plantar fascia. We often use it alongside shockwave therapy for heel pain, treating both the fascia and everything upstream loading it.
Used after hard activity to increase circulation through worked muscle and shorten the soreness window. Popular with golfers, tennis and pickleball players, and anyone training regularly.
Surgical scars and long healed injuries leave behind tissue that no longer moves properly and quietly limits range elsewhere. Cupping can help mobilize it, often years after the fact.
How It Compares
Massage compresses tissue downward, which is effective but can guard sensitive areas into further tension. Cupping applies the opposite force, creating space between layers. Many patients who find deep tissue work too intense tolerate cupping easily.
Foam rolling is compression you apply yourself, and it is genuinely useful. It cannot create decompression, and it cannot reach the depth or specificity of a placed cup. Roll between visits, and use cupping for what rolling cannot reach.
These work well in the same visit. Acupuncture addresses the nervous system and the specific pain pattern, cupping addresses the mechanical restriction in the tissue. We frequently combine them.
The Marks
The round marks cupping leaves are the first thing most people ask about, and they are not bruises. A bruise comes from impact damaging tissue. These marks come from suction drawing stagnant blood and metabolic waste out of restricted tissue toward the surface, where circulation can clear it.
The color tells us something. Darker marks generally indicate more stagnation in that area, and patients often notice that the same spot marks less on later visits as circulation improves. They are painless, and they typically fade within three to seven days.
If you have an event coming up, tell us. We can adjust intensity, choose placement that stays covered, or use moving cupping instead, which marks far less.
Common Questions
Patient Testimonials
"Dr. Cheshire and his team have been very helpful in my journey to combat chronic back and neck pain. My mobility has improved and I am walking better. Thank you 💞"
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Schedule a free 20 minute consultation and we will tell you whether cupping fits your plan.