THE USE OF CUPPING AS A MYOFASCIAL
RELEASE TOOL
Ashley Doozan, MS, LAT, ATC
Assistant Athletic Trainer
North Carolina State University
Objectives
• General Introduction
• Theorized Benefits
• Precautions and Contraindications
• Current Evidence
• Uses in Rehabilitation and Treatment
Why Me?
• I am not an expert*
• Have been tinkering and researching since 2013
• Thesis
• Courses
Introduction
Cupping
•
Ancient practice
•
Many Cultures
•
•
•
Egypt, Chinese, Native Americans
Used for illness, ailments, and
injuries
Longer treatment times
•
15 plus min
Myofascial Decompression
•
Relatively new term
•
More widely utilized in the sports
world
•
Shorter treatment times
•
5- 10 min
Cupping
•
Applied to increase circulation and
stimulate lymph
•
Most common glass or plastic
•
6 categories
•
(Al-Bedah et al., 2016)
Myofascial Release Techniques
• Fascia
Collagen fibers
• Adapts to strain placed on them
• Allows from transmission of
mechanical tension
•
• MFR
Focuses on soft tissue or fascia
that is tight or in a spasms
• Trigger Points
• Allows increased ROM for athletes
•
Theorized Benefits
• Physiological effects of
cupping
• Negative pressure created
by the cups
• Vasodilation
• Increased metabolism
• Skin reddening
•
Acts a myofascial release
•
Allowing for more space in between
the fascia
(DaPrato,N.D ; Al-Bedah et al., 2016)
•
Fascia is thixotropic
•
Thick under normal conditions, but
flow over time when stressed or
agitated
•
Vasodilation increases efficient
exchange of nutrients and cellular
waste
•
Fascia becomes extensible and
malleable
Theory (prolonged effect)
• Prolonged bruising
• Causes constant stimulation
to the area
• Stretching stimulation
discontinued
Precautions
• Those that are over eager!
• Blood thinners
• Healing or thin skin
• Swollen Tissues
• Pitting edema
• Post Surgical
• Wait 1-2 weeks near surgical site
• 3-4 weeks over portals
Contraindications
• Unhealed wounds
• Hemophilia, leukemia
• Fever
• Severe Anemia
• High Blood pressure
• Vasculitis
• Eyes, Genitialia
Pain Reduction
• Akbarzadeh et al (2013)
100 participants, 18-40 yrs old
• 15-20 min, 4 consecutive days
• Sig differences in pain (p=0.001)
•
Pain Reduction
• Lauche et al. (2011)
50 participants, 18-50 yrs old
• 10-20 min, 3-4 days, total 5 tx
• Sig. decrease in pain levels (p=0.000)
•
• Teut et al. (2012)
40 participants, 40-80 yrs old
• 5 min, 8 tx, 4 weeks
• Sig. decrease in pain short and long
term (p=0.001)
•
Pain and ROM
• Markowski et al. (2014)
21 participants, 30-56 yrs old
• 10 min, 1 time
• Flexion and SLR sig increase
• Sig decrease in pain (p=0.000)
•
Soft Tissues Mobilization
• MRI Study by DaPrato , n.d
No Device
• Device
• Post Device Removal
•
• Done as cupping, not MFD
Tools of the Trade
•
Cups
Many sizes and shapes
• Vacuum cups
•
•
•
Have more pressure than fire cupping
Lube or no Lube?
Creams
• Oils
• Analgesics
• Liniments
•
General Technique
• Technique
Static
• Glide
• High Velocity (pop)
• Anchored glide
•
• Trigger Points
• Fascial Lines
•
Anatomy Trains
Don’t forget your anatomy and biology!!!
Cupping
• Static and glide supping
• 10-15 min application
• More linear application
Myofascial Decompression
•
Multi cup Linear and diagonal
•
Applying cups with space in between
•
PROM and AROM
•
•
Only about 5 min of tx
•
1-2’ static
• 2-3’ min of ROM
•
•
Amount of cups depends on multiple
factors
•
Athletes size
Practice/game?
Pain tolerance
Post Treatment Procedures
• Flushing Technique after moving the cups
• Post treatment activities
• Drink plenty of water
• Avoid ice/cold
• Can leave bruising
What your are looking for
•
Mixed review on what you are
seeing
•
Color, correlation with darkness
•
Porosity and puckering
•
Thickening
More Information?
• Further studies
More studies in general
• Long term effects
•
• Courses
Cup Therapy
• Massage Therapist
•
References
•
Akbarzadeh, M., Ghaemmaghami, M., Yazdanpanahi, Z., Zare, N., Azizi, A., & Mohagheghzadeh, A.
(2013). The effects dry cupping therapy at acupoint BL23 on the intensity of postpartum low back pain in
primiparous women based on two types of questionnaires, 2012; A randomized clinical trial.
International Journal of Community Based Nursing and Midwifery, 2(2), 112-120.
•
Al-Bedah, A. M., Aboushanab, T. S., Alqaed, M. S., Qureshi, N. A., Suhaibani, I., Ibrahim, G., & Kahalil,
M. (2016). Classification of cupping therapy: A tool for modernization and standardization. Journal of
Complementary and Alternative Medical Research, 1(1), 1-10. doi:10.9734/JOCAMR/2016/27222
•
DaPrato, C. Effects of soft tissues mobilization with negative pressure device on the shoulder, using
MR imaging. Unpublished manuscript
•
Lauche, R., Cramer, H., Choi, K., Rampp, T., Saha, F. J., Dobos, G. J., & Musial, F. (2011). The influence of
a series of five dry cupping treatments on pain and mechanical thresholds in patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain-a randomized controlled pilot study. Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 11(63).
•
Markowski, A., Sanford, S., Pikowski, J., Fauvell, D., Cimino, D., Caplan, S. (2014). A pilot study analyzing
the effects of Chinese cupping as an adjunct treatment for patients with subacute low back pain on
relieving pain, improving range of motion, and improving function. The Journal of Alternative and
Complementary Medicine, 20(2), 113-117.
•
Teut, M., Kaiser, S., Ortiz, M., Roll, S., Binting, S., Willich, S., & Brinkhaus, B. (2012). Pulsatile dry cupping
in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee-a randomized controlled exploratory trial. Complementary
and Alternative Medicine, (12), 184-193.
QUESTIONS?