MediCupping: Medical Applications for Vacuum Therapies in Bodywork
Our bodies are a “walking history” of our lives. Any injury, illness, surgery, and even the toxic substances that the body has been exposed to from conception forward may still be present in the tissues. The body is brilliant in its efforts to protect itself from the effects of personal history, yet its capacity is limited. The body has to store that which it cannot process and eliminate. The result is an accumulation of materials such as old medications, inflammatory agents, cellular waste, and acids in stagnant lymph fluid. Have you ever wondered why cellulite can be so painful to the touch?
Each body reacts uniquely to this accumulation of debris and stagnation, and we see examples of degeneration occurring at younger ages more than ever before. Ordinarily healthy people become fatigued and sluggish due to the cumulative effects of their lifestyle and eventually move into the “dis-eased” state. This may help to explain the high level of autoimmune disorders that exist.
Think about the elements of living today such as intake of medications, acidic diets, and a high-stress / no-rest pace, all producing a constant state of inflammation. This literally “cooks” the water right out of the body tissues. How many people actually absorb the water that they drink? Water is eliminated from the lymph as well, leaving it thick and unable to flow. This internal heat also fuses the soft tissue, closing the space between layers where the lymph should move freely.
We are water-based beings. Since cells eliminate their waste into the interstitial fluid, which becomes part of the lymph, then what happens when this system becomes blocked? Wouldn’t the cell and tissue functions become sluggish, thus affecting the larger organism? What if we clear the drainage system and create the space for lymph to flow again? This is accomplished by the separation of tissue and the ability to carry stagnation via the suction of the cup. This is only enhanced by the increased blood flow that brings oxygen and nutrition to the cells and tissues, boosting all levels of metabolism. What a significant change this is for a multitude of people!
Therapists who have explored the use of vacuum therapies in bodywork have found that the addition of suction and lifting to other massage techniques has produced radical changes for their clients and for themselves. One of the most amazing aspects of this technique is the “separation” that the vacuum produces in tissue layers. This enables water absorption and renewed blood flow to undernourished and dehydrated tissue and the elimination of old waste and congestion. It has become evident that separation and drainage of fused, congested soft tissue produces an increase in tissue and systemic function and is a great catalyst for change in health.
Think about the impact on women going through menopause or other hormonal changes: a chance to clear the body of the old congestion and give it the ability to eliminate new debris and inflammation as it occurs. How about weight loss enhanced by natural and lasting metabolic stimulation? Consider the concept of clearing old chemical triggers in stagnant tissue that are affecting cellular receptor sites. Could this have an effect on addictions and abnormal autoimmune responses?
MediCupping therapy and ACE Massage Cupping bodywork are two of the more specialized types of cupping therapy that have emerged in the last decade. MediCupping is built on the original development of ACE Massage Cupping and has replaced the manual tools with sophisticated and user-friendly equipment. These two modalities have demonstrated immediate effects on many conditions including:
- Deep tissue and structural issues – old injuries and chronic movement patterns
- Arthritis, Tendonitis, Bursitis
- Scarring – old, new, keloid, post-surgery
- Loose skin and old deposits from weight loss
- Lymphoedema – general and post-surgery
- Fibromyalgia
- Sports – injuries and post-event conditions
- Diabetes
- Cellulite
- Vascular issues – spider veins and varicosities
- COPD
- Parkinson’s Disease
- IBS
- Acid Reflux
Each workshop in ACE Massage Cupping bodywork and MediCupping therapy has produced significant changes for many of the attendees. Along with providing more valuable information to integrate into future trainings and publications, this “personal proof” leads newly trained Certified ACE Massage Cupping Practitioners to bring incredible skills into their practice with great enthusiasm. Many clients and students have tasted anesthesia from very old surgeries during treatment, and old blood or debris has come to the surface from childhood experiences such as asthma or living with a parent who smoked. A student who had childhood asthma had been fed a sticky yellow medicine that came up to the surface during a workshop. It was still in there after forty years, despite her healthy lifestyle.
After very few sessions, the tissues can finally absorb water and nutrition and retain a healthy moist state. This enables elimination of new wastes that can otherwise re-accumulate and cause allergies, inflammation, or sensitivities. Another benefit of this technique is increased vascular integrity and stimulated collagen production to aid in toning flaccid tissue. A unique quality of these modalities is the “lifting without force.” Even when working on deep scars and adhesions, fibrous tissue, or fascia that has retained memory from incident or injury, the technique is comfortable and works very quickly.
MediCupping differentiates itself from ACE Massage Cupping and other cupping therapies through:
- The ability of the machine to control the vacuum and the release of tissue. This unique feature produces a “fine-tuning” of the technique that produces a substantial increase in results. Client and practitioner share the excitement of rapid, measurable progress and shifts in condition.
- The equipment performs the techniques while you concentrate on the movements. No more distraction of the gun or pump. The medical level model is so versatile that a technician can be easily trained to program and perform prescribed treatment protocols.
- MediCupping equipment has an advantage over manual vacuum equipment. Results are easy to document through regulation of equipment settings and successful results are achieved due to the consistency of application. The equipment is fun to use, versatile, and provides a valuable tool for supporting physicians and patients through medical and surgical procedures.
To effectively add MediCupping therapy to your toolbox, it is essential to have thorough training and experience. Those who are Certified ACE Massage Cupping Practitioners and working with manual cupping sets will integrate the mechanized equipment into their practice with ease, and novices quickly become proficient with proper training. A great way to integrate vacuum therapies into your service menu is to start with the manual equipment to build your skills and client acclaim, then graduate to the machine.
Mention must be made that these tools and techniques create such ease for the practitioner in facilitating change for clients, and they are also superb for self-care.
- Clear cups offer a new glimpse into the true condition of the client. Observation of the tissue through the cup and tissue response to treatment can provide valuable information on levels of congestion, restriction, inflammation and other evaluation criteria.
- Integration of ACE Massage Cupping bodywork and MediCupping therapy into existing treatments relieves strain on the practitioner’s hands and performs unique negative pressure techniques that are not possible without a vacuum apparatus.
- Injuries and daily stress of overwork as a Massage Therapist can be self-treated quickly with very little effort.
- A student who attended a workshop had just seriously injured her hand and was told that her massage therapy career was most likely over. She worked with the magnetic equipment on herself and was able to join and complete the class, then go back to work.
Think of the impact of clearing and opening the body systems all the way down to a cellular level, as well as releasing old compensatory patterns that are no longer beneficial. A new cycle begins with the replication of healthier cells turning into healthier tissue systems, a recaptured homeostasis that leads to wellness, despite age or history.
Give the body a real way to slow degeneration and stimulate regeneration!
Dr. Masaru Emoto’s work in “The Hidden Messages in Water” inspires another thought: Consider the powerful effects that re-introducing a “healthy state” to the water of the body will have on our basic energetic processing…
So ask yourself and your clients, “How fluid does your body feel?”
Specialized Vacuum Therapies
Current cupping therapies are adaptations of an ancient technique and possess the benefits of traditional use, along with many incredible new applications. This therapy utilizes glass or plastic cups and a vacuum pistol, bulb, or machine to create suction on the body surface. These cups are moved over the skin using gliding, shaking, popping, and rotating techniques while gently pulling up on the cup. They also may be parked for a short time to facilitate joint mobilization or soft tissue release. This suction reaches deep into the soft tissue, attachments and organs and also has a sedating effect on the nervous system. Another benefit is to pull inflammation and toxins from the body tissues so that the skin and lymphatic system can readily eliminate them. Scar tissue often releases quickly, despite the age of the injury or keloid tendencies.
One of the most amazing aspects of this technique is the “separation” that the vacuum produces in tissue layers. This enables water absorption and renewed blood flow to undernourished and dehydrated tissue, which is invaluable in pre- and post-surgery treatments. It is evident that separation of fused, congested soft tissue and increase in tissue function can be a catalyst for change in many current health conditions.