Cupping Therapy in London

The strange red circles that mark the skin after a cupping session may be a little intimidating — but there’s much more to this super gentle therapy than meets the eye — literally. Cupping has been used for thousands of years and even appears in one of the oldest medical textbooks in the world — the Ancient Egyptian Ebers Papyrus — which dates back to 1550BC. Then, as now, cupping was used as a way to ease muscles, restore balance, boost circulation and revive energy and mobility within the body. 

Cupping therapy uses small glass or bamboo cups on top of the skin to create suction. In many ways, cupping is like an inversion of traditional massage as instead of applying pressure onto the muscle, it uses suction to lift the muscles upwards into the cup. This suction technique helps to manipulate the muscles to encourage blood flow, release toxins, and calm the nervous system — bringing peace and balance to both the body and mind. 

Cupping therapy helps to repair imbalances that lead to anxiety, depression and fatigue — as well as a whole host of physical conditions including high blood pressure, migraines and back pain. 

Browse our range of cupping therapists near you and discover the ancient power of muscular suction. 

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What Are the Benefits of Cupping Therapy?

The skin is the largest organ of the body. In many ways, your skin is the external map for your internal health. Cupping therapy reads this map to discover the full health of the body and mind. Using pressure to loosen muscles, boost blood flow, calm the nervous system and release toxins from the body, this therapy can help with a range of illnesses and ailments, including:

• Migraines and headaches 
• Back, neck and joint pain
• Skin allergies and issues 
• Anxiety and stress-related illnesses 
• Fatigue and depression 
• High blood pressure 
• Respiratory issues

Cupping is not only a great way of freeing the body of aches, pains and ailments — it also benefits the mind. The therapy draws on the same philosophies that underpin traditional Chinese medicine — particularly as it’s designed to target the energy of the body — or “qi” — through the energy channels or meridian systems. By doing so, cupping relieves the body of pain and prevents illness. By placing the cups along the meridian lines of the body, cupping revives the body’s energy flow and so brings calm, happiness and freedom to the mind.

With so many benefits, cupping gives a whole new meaning to skin deep! 

What to Expect from a Cupping Session?

A cupping session begins with a consultation with your therapist to discuss your concerns and the goals for your treatment. This is an incredibly useful step that helps your therapist to curate your cupping experience. So, take time to discuss your medical history, lifestyle habits and any aches, pains and issues you may have. 

Using the information from your consultation, your therapist will establish where to place the cups to target your particular concerns. Some of the cups are placed along the five meridian lines of the body, particularly on the back. Depending on your needs and goals, the therapist may also apply the cups to the fleshy parts of the arms and legs. 

Once the cups are in place, your therapist will leave them to work their magic for five to ten minutes. You will probably feel a calming suction, but you shouldn’t experience any pain. If you do feel unduly uncomfortable or painful, be sure to let your therapist know as soon as possible. To remove your cups, the therapist may use some oils or herbal infusions. 

The cups do leave large circles, but these will fade long before the wonderful, soothing sensation does! 

Browse our range of cupping therapists in your area and open yourself up to something deeply rejuvenating and utterly unique.