This year, I started working with a chiropractor for the very first time in my life. I have no idea why I waited so long. Our sessions together were literally life-changing, and I can’t recommend working with one enough. 

Whether you’re dealing with an injury or simply want to move through life with more ease both inside and outside of the gym, working with a chiropractor is probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for my health and well-being. It’s been worth every penny, and I’m so glad I added this professional service to my arsenal of wellness tools. Anyways, enough of that. Let me step down from my soap box and get into it already.

When choosing a chiropractor, I opted to work with Michael Risher, doctor of chiropractic, of The Rehab Lab located in Chicago. At my second appointment, Risher wanted to “throw some cups on my back.” He said it so casually like it was nothing, but part of me was a little nervous to try a new treatment.

However, the other part of me was really excited. I thought, “Wait, am I going to look like a professional athlete with those super cool-looking marks on their backs?” Honestly, all I could think about was Michael Phelps at the 2016 summer Olympic games.

Being innately an inquisitive questioner who constantly seeks details, information, and knowledge, a few questions came to mind at my first cupping session. What is cupping? What does cupping do? What are the benefits of cupping?

Naturally, I figured if I’m asking these questions, others may be too — and so here we are. With the help of my very own chiropractor (and his wife, Kristin Risher, doctor of chiropractic, who is the other 50% of the team that comprises The Rehab Lab), I was able to get these questions, and more, answered. Consider this the ultimate guide to all things cupping.

What is cupping?

First things first, what is cupping? According to the Cleveland Clinic, cupping is an ancient healing therapy that’s been used for thousands of years and originated from traditional Chinese and Middle Eastern medicine practices. Today, some medical professionals, such as chiropractors, use cupping to ease pain that may be occurring in various parts of the body. 

Cups can be placed on almost any part of the body but are most commonly used on the arms, back, legs, and stomach. Essentially, inside the cup, there’s a suction force or vacuum that pulls the skin upward. This produces puffy, red boil-looking bumps inside the cup. Risher assures us this is a good thing.

“The bump after [cupping] is due to two things,” he explains. “The first is a local stretch of the area because of the negative pressure in the cups. It draws up fascia, muscle, and skin into the cup. The second is due to vasodilation (blood vessels opening up in size). More blood flow to the area improves the muscle’s ability to relax and promotes local healing.”

Risher also says to not worry about the marks leftover from a cupping session. He says the bruises aren’t painful and don’t indicate anything positive or negative. Sometimes they happen and sometimes they don’t, but if you’re worried about an upcoming event and how your wardrobe will work, rest assured the marks usually go away within a week.

What does cupping do?

Okay, so what does cupping do? How exactly does cupping work? It’s relatively quite simple. The suction from the cups draws blood into the treated area. (This is why you end up with those gnarly colorful cupping circles after a treatment.)

Essentially, the force of the suction from the cups expands and breaks up capillaries (tiny blood vessels) under the skin, describes the Cleveland Clinic. This then triggers the body to treat the area like an injury by sending more blood to the area to spark and stimulate the healing process. Ahhh…sweet relief.

Cupping colors

Walking it back for a hot second — let’s go back to those gnarly colorful cupping colors. What exactly do cupping colors mean? According to Chinese medicine, mild redness indicates healthy blood circulation, moderate redness means moderate stagnation, and deep red bruises mean severe stagnation. If you’re a visual learner like me, here are two nifty little visual aids — one for lighter skin tones and one for darker skin tones.

What are the benefits of cupping?

Now that you can answer the questions “what is cupping” and “what does cupping do,” let’s answer the question of “what are the benefits of cupping?”

According to a 2018 review of studies published in the Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies, the benefits of cupping include:

• Boosts cellular immunity
• Changes the skin’s biomechanical properties
• Improves local anaerobic (without oxygen) metabolism
• Increases pain thresholds
• Promotes the skin’s blood flow
• Reduces inflammation

Risher also has a few benefits of cupping to add of his own: “It decreases pain, improves mobility, promotes healing, and (depending on the type of cupping you do) can improve local metabolic function,” he says. This could mean changes in cholesterol and even changes in white blood cell count in the area.

The bottom line: Whether you’re curious about this ancient practice or are dealing with some level of pain you would like to alleviate, consider calling upon cupping. (I 100% recommend it.)

Ask your chiropractor about cupping therapy or reach out to Risher with a DM and book your first cupping session if you’re in Chicago. Your body will be so grateful you did!