• Benefits and contraindications for cupping massage
• How to manipulate and move the cups for soft tissue work
• How to control resistance for a comfortable application of the massage cups
• Specific techniques for gentle and deep releases to relieve muscle tension and pain
• How to work with the lymphatic circulation
• How to use static placement to enhance soft tissue work
• How to integrate cupping massage work with manual soft tissue work
• How to apply cupping massage for therapeutic applications

Cupping massage opens up a whole new world of benefit for the client and the therapist. This class provides a comprehensive introduction to soft tissue mobilization using soft silicone massage cups. The scope of practice for the application of these cups at the Introductory level is primarily for healthy adults. These cups are easy to apply and manipulate for a massage-like experience that easily integrates right into your manual work. Cupping massage provides a kind of reverse massage, pulling up through the tissue, creating stretch and increasing hydration and blood flow. Pain and tension are reduced in a fraction of the time and with much less discomfort than with other manual techniques. Five minutes of cupping massage can relax the tissue as much as 30 minutes of manual work, while static cupping is like having an extra therapist with you, working on a tight area, while you are free to work on other needy muscles! 

The degree of control in using these cups allows from the gentlest of release of a painful trigger point to a deep myofascially oriented mobilization. Understanding how the cups work and how cupping marks develop also allows for the sensitive application of the cups,  in order to minimize any marks from the cups.

​This class is a combination of lecture and demonstration and there is ample time allotted for hands on practice. The attendee will come away with a working knowledge of using soft silicone cups that can be immediately applied in their massage practice. Clients and therapists are loving this work!