Dry Cupping within Sports Massage
Dry Cupping is frequently used within Sports Massage and Sports Therapy, but why?Dry cupping and sports massage are two unique treatments designed to promote recovery after exercise and injury, and to leave your body flexible and pain-free, helping you perform at your best. Each boasts a range of benefits, and when used together, these treatments can help athletes and sportspeople get the most out of their bodies.
Below, we’ve taken a deeper dive into dry cupping and sports massage, and how they work together to keep your body feeling healthy and pain-free.
What is Dry Cupping?
Dry cupping is an ancient form of alternative therapy that originated in China and is primarily used to ease pain. It involves placing specially designed cups on the skin on the back, stomach, arms, legs, or other body parts to create suction, drawing fluid to the affected area. This suction expands and breaks open the tiny blood vessels under the skin.
The body then treats the cupping areas as an injury, increasing blood flow to the area to stimulate the natural healing process. This can relieve muscle tension, improve overall blood flow, promote cell repair, and more. It can also help form new connective tissue and create new blood vessels.
Dry cupping can be used to compliment care for a wide range of issues and health conditions, including: 
- Back and Neck Pain.
- Knee Pain.
- Shoulder Pain.
- Sports Injuries and Recovery.
- Arthritis.
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
- Breathing Problems.
- Headaches and Migraines.
What is a Sports Massage?
A sports massage is a specialised type of massage therapy designed to help athletes and anyone who exercises to increase flexibility and endurance, improve performance, prevent injuries, and help promote healing after an injury.
It is specifically tailored to different sports and sporting injuries and works by stretching tight muscles, stimulating inactive muscles, and improving the condition of the soft tissue. The main aim of a sports massage is to reduce the stress and tension that can build up in the soft tissue of the body during exercise.
While sports massage does not have a specific technique, it borrows from techniques used in other disciplines, including physiotherapy and osteopathy. Some techniques include:
- Soft Tissue Release.
- Neuromuscular Technique.
- Positional Release.
- Fascial Release.
How Do They Work Together?
While these treatments have a wide range of individual benefits, combining them can help you get the most out of your body. Both treatments work by promoting the body’s natural healing process, and can potentially reduce downtime when used together.
When combined, these treatments can further promote blood flow to the muscles and injured areas of the body, helping your body heal quicker in a safe, natural way. These treatments can also work together to reduce pain after injury and overexertion, and promote quicker recovery after exercise and potentially preventing any soft tissue injuries.
Ultimately, combining dry cupping and sports massage is a fantastic option for those looking to improve their overall athletic performance, reduce recovery time, and reduce pain.
Dry Cupping and Sports Massage at Core Elements
At Core Elements, we are dedicated to using our professional dry cupping and sports massage and sports therapy to help athletes, sportspeople, frequent exercisers perform their absolute best, along with those suffering from every day muscle ache or pain. All our treatments are tailored to suit your lifestyle and goals and are always carried out according to the highest standards.
Visit our Clinic page to find our more.
At Core Elements Training Centre we also offer an accredited day CPD course in Dry Cupping Therapy which is designed for therapists at Level 3 and above, along with Sports Therapists, Osteopaths, Physiotherapists etc. This course is delivered face to face at our training centre and is also available as Live Online delivery. To find our more please visit our Dry Cupping course page.
For more information on Dry Cupping, Sports Massage or to book an appointment or place on our CPD course, get in touch with us today on 07887 535 766 or at dawn@coreelements.uk.com.