Massage with Cupping: Why I Love This Therapeutic Combination

There is something about cupping that I absolutely love.

Cupping is sometimes described as an “anti-gravity massage” because instead of compressing the tissues, the cups gently lift them away from the body—a gentle lifting and stretching that can feel incredibly relieving.

And honestly?

It feels amazing.

Why Cupping Can Feel So Good

Our bodies experience a lot of compression throughout the day.

We sit. We stand. We sleep in the same positions. We wear clothing that fits closely around us. We carry bags, tighten our muscles, brace against stress, and unconsciously hold ourselves in patterns of tension.

Certain areas can be especially prone to that feeling of compression.

For many women, the area around the back where a bra band sits can become a place where unrealized tensioning adhesions accumulate. The waistline around a belt or snug waistband can also create a noticeable sense of pressure and restriction.

Cupping offers something different.

The cup, and heat, create a gentle suction that lifts the skin and underlying soft tissue upward, creating space and encouraging movement within the tissues.

I love the contrast.

It's almost like giving your body room to breathe.

Cupping Has Been Around for Thousands of Years

Cupping is an ancient practice with a long history, including its use in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Traditionally, cupping has been used within a broader system of care to support the movement of Qi (Chi) through the body's pathways and meridians. Different forms of cupping have also been used for a variety of traditional purposes.

In modern massage therapy, my focus is different.

When I incorporate cupping into a massage, I'm primarily interested in the soft-tissue effects—using the cups to gently lift, mobilize, and decompress areas of muscular and fascial tension.

This makes cupping a wonderful complement to therapeutic massage.

What About Those Round Marks?

One of the first things people notice about cupping is the circular marks that can sometimes appear afterward.

These marks aren't bruises in the traditional sense of an impact injury. They are the result of the negative pressure created by the cup drawing fluids toward the surface of the tissue. The appearance can range from unnoticeable, except the cup mark, to light pink to deep purple depending on the person, the area being treated, and the amount of suction used.

They are most usually temporary and generally fade over several days to several weeks, although everyone's body responds differently. 

And yes—they can look dramatic!

I always talk with my clients about this before we begin so there are no surprises when they look in the mirror afterward.

My Favorite Way to Describe Cupping

When I receive cupping myself, I sometimes imagine that a gigantic octopus has picked me up and is gently lifting all those tight places away from my body.

And I love it.

I use cups on myself when I need some extra relief from tension, and every time I do, I'm reminded that taking a few minutes to care for my own body can make such a difference.

But receiving cupping as part of a massage session that I offer?

That's definitely a double treat.

You get the nurturing, flowing experience of massage combined with the unique lifting sensation of the cups.

Cupping + Massage: A Wonderful Combination

I don't think of cupping as something that has to replace massage.

I think of it as another tool.

Sometimes an area responds beautifully to massage alone. Sometimes adding cupping creates an entirely different sensation and gives the tissues another way to be addressed.

I may use the cups in a stationary position for a period of time, or gently move them across the body to create a gliding effect. The technique can be adapted depending on what your body needs and how you respond to the treatment.

My goal isn't to see how much suction I can create.

It's to create a treatment that feels therapeutic, intentional, and good to receive.

You Can Even Use Silicone Cups at Home

I sometimes recommend that clients who enjoy cupping consider having a simple set of silicone cups at home.

They're small, portable, and don't break like glass cups. Once you've been shown how to use them properly, they can be a convenient way to incorporate gentle self-care between massage appointments.

They can be especially nice for areas where you regularly notice muscular tension.

Experience Massage with Cupping in Pacifica

I love providing cupping because it gives me another way to care for the body—and my clients seem to love receiving it just as much as I love giving it.

In my Healing Portal in Rockaway Beach, Pacifica, I combine massage and cupping in a warm, private, nurturing environment where you can slow down and let your body receive.

If you're curious about what that lifting, spacious feeling is like, come experience it for yourself.

Maybe you'll love the giant octopus, too.

[Book a 60-minute Massage with Cupping]