Cupping is not a treatment I sell on its own, and I would be suspicious of anyone who does. It is a tool, and it belongs inside a session where the hands have already found the problem.
It costs nothing extra. If your deep tissue or soft tissue session would benefit from it, I reach for the cups, and if it would not, I do not.
What it does
- Reaches the fascia that direct pressure cannot lift
- Effective on the broad muscles of the lower and upper back
- Improves local circulation in a congested area
- Painless, unlike the deep pressure it complements
- Costs nothing extra on top of your session
Who it is for
- Lower back tightness that pressure alone does not shift
- Stiff upper back and shoulders
- Athletes with a broad area of tension
- Anyone curious to try it inside a normal session
- People who find sustained deep pressure hard to tolerate
Why suction instead of pressure
Every other technique I use compresses tissue: pressing down, stretching, kneading. Cupping does the opposite. The cup creates a vacuum that lifts the skin and the fascia away from the muscle underneath.
That matters on a broad, flat area like the lower back, where pressing simply pushes everything against the pelvis and never gets underneath the layer that is actually stuck. Lifting creates space where pressure cannot.
Static and sliding cups
Static cupping leaves the cup in place for a few minutes over a specific point. It is the version most people have seen, and it is what leaves the circular marks.
Sliding cupping, with cream under the cup, moves it along the muscle while the suction holds. It covers more ground, feels stranger the first time, and is often more useful for a whole tight region such as the upper back.
About the marks
The circles are not bruises and they are not painful. They are the discolouration left where stagnant blood has been drawn towards the surface, and they fade over three to seven days.
How dark they go tells you something: a congested area marks more than a healthy one, and the same spot usually marks less on a second visit. Still, if you have a wedding, a photoshoot or a beach week coming up, tell me and we skip the cups.
When I do not use it
Never with a Swedish massage. The whole point of that session is light pressure and no after-effects, and cupping belongs to a different register.
Not on skin that is broken, sunburnt or irritated, not over varicose veins, not during pregnancy on the abdomen or the lower back, and not if you take anticoagulants or bruise unusually easily. Tell me about blood thinners before we start.
How a session goes
- 01Your massage starts normally: hands first, to find where the problem actually sits.
- 02If cupping suits that area, I explain what I am about to do and you decide.
- 03A few minutes of static or sliding cups, usually on the back.
- 04Back to manual work, because the cups open the area and the hands finish it.
Questions about this treatment
- Does cupping hurt?
- No. It is a strong pulling sensation, which is unusual the first time but not painful. If a cup is uncomfortable I take it off immediately.
- How long do the marks last?
- Three to seven days, fading from dark to yellowish. They are painless. Tell me beforehand if you cannot have them.
- Do I pay extra?
- No. It is part of a deep tissue or soft tissue session when it is useful. There is no separate price and no separate booking line.
- Can I add it to a Swedish massage?
- No. The Swedish is deliberately a light session with no after-effects. If you want cupping, book deep tissue or soft tissue instead.
