DIY Cupping Pods Therapy Doesn’t Have to Leave Marks. Almost Anyone Can Do It.
Energy Fitness loves helping our clients and anyone interested in getting more fit, healthier, reduce or eliminate pain, increase range of motion, work around injuries, decrease muscle imbalances and in general feel better and more youthful. Anyway, all this to be said we know how to use complimentary methods other than just our personal training and massage therapy services to help clients feel and look their best and we want to teach you DIY methods as well.
Let’s face it, if you can’t move well then you have increased your chance of future injury or decrease your chances of recovering from nagging injuries or pesky aches and pains.
Think of massage as compression therapy helping to glide the skin with some friction to help “unstick the fascia” and help increase blood flow, etc. Cupping therapy is decompression therapy as the skin is a handle and the suction aids to pull the skin and muscle away from the fascia still “unsticking the fascia” but as a different modality. People with underlying health conditions, diabetes, swelling or open wounds, inflamed skin, a high fever or convulsions, people taking blood thinners or pregnant women should not have a cupping procedure.
To facilitate wellness we have to be detectives and ask the right questions as well as watch our clients move their bodies. We need to teach and provide tools that may help in helping you feel your best. If the modalities are new to you then we must bring into your awareness this method and the science behind it. Last year Energy Fitness hosted and a few staff members including myself attended Rock Tape classes ranging from Functional Movement Basic & Advanced, Rock Tape (Kinesiology tape), Rock Pods (this is the cupping certification), Rock Floss, Rock Blades & Blades Advanced. I have all of these expect for the Rock Floss but got an intro to it in one of the other classes in which the same principles apply as the Rock Tape.
What are Rock Pods or Cupping Therapy?
This is only a teaser introduction as there’s a lot to it. This post is only discussing the stationary cupping method with some additional movement of parts of the body to help improve results.
I’ll create a video me doing other types of therapy on my oldest son as an upcoming blog post as well as how to use other methods of cupping like the silicone larger cups and cupping gun for dramatic reduction of cellulite appearance that has worked on several clients. Mae Jensen, our LMT is certified in using the cupping gun as well as other various certifications so we may have her in the video demonstrating or teaching as well. Of course you may contact us to schedule an appointment virtually or onsite to teach you how to DIY yourself for this treatment as well 901-466-6242.
Rock pods are simply the trademarked name from Rock Tape for the silicone plunger looking pods/cups they use. Regardless of what type of cupping you do just know that there is more than one method to get results you need.These same pods are available under a different name as well at a much lower price point as I have purchased a few for resale in our small pro shop.
3 different levels of intensity
exist with the pods
- flash cupping: this is where you just quickly press the pod on the area of skin and suction back up so as it won’t stay suctioned on the skin for more than a second
- plunger: this is where you put the pod on the skin and with the plunger type handle gripped with your fingers push down until the pod is suctioned to you skin.
- inverted: this is the most intense and where you turn the pod inside out then place on the skin. This one really gets you and the on I use most often unless it’s a very sensitive area and I’m not quite ready to be so aggressive with. I say it feels like it’s biting you.
In hard to plunger areas you can squeeze the sides of the pod in as to get a suction to skin. I did this on a cousin last year near her ankle scar from surgery as she still had pain and limited range of motion. I placed the pods on her dry skin (AND HERE’S THE METHOD SO LISTEN UP) and grabbed the handle to gently and gradually more aggressive twisted the pod to the left and right with the doorknob method. I also pulled at the pod attempting to pull the skin away from the muscle thus helping to also unstick the fascia. Next I had her point her toe as I placed pod on her achilles and soleus muscle. Then I asked her to stand and walk or do a few squats as to have the pods be more intense with the muscles going through the range of motion. She was so appreciative of this therapy and said she felt more movement. Full disclosure, we found one spot that the pods were really struggling to get but stayed with it and wow she felt that bite of the inverted method but the pods left no marks.
With the pods stationary method you will be able to see if the area really is stuck because the plunger handle might not come all the way up or the pod is squeezed sideways.
TIP**The fascia is more pliable when warm from exercise, hot bath or shower or warm towels. We do not recommend this stationary cupping on wet or slightly wet skin. If you want the cupping to leave marks then of course this is the fastest way to make that happen as blood will pool to the skin which is not necessarily a bad thing but can take a week or more to go away.
One client came in complaining of shoulder pain and I when I cupped his bicep he thought I was crazy. Tight biceps can cause shoulder pain. He soon became addicted to it and asked for more each time he came in. We taught him how to do on himself so he can always have this in his DIY toolbox. Of course it’s always better to be pampered and just have someone else do it if you won’t make yourself do it. Accountability!
These are what are for sale starting next week onsite and the PDF that accompanies the set.
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901-466-6242 or energymemphis@gmail.com
Tonya Tittle, M.S., ACSM
Owner/Dir. of Training, Energy Fitness (established 2002)
ACSM, TPI Level 1 Certified, Rock Tape, Rock Pods (cupping therapy), Rock Tape Blades & Blades Advanced
FMT Basic, Metagenics FLT
The services below are to resume June 1, 2020 but with when the lock down on social distancing has lifted but we have new guidelines that will be followed such as staff will be wearing face coverings as well as clients for massage. You will have to sign a Covid19 release form, wash your hands upon arrival, etc.
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