The process involves placing special cups on the skin, creating suction that draws blood to the area and encourages healing. It’s especially popular among athletes, but anyone dealing with chronic tension or pain can benefit from this technique. It's not just about the therapeutic benefits—cupping also feels pretty great!
Cupping Therapy: An Ancient Technique for Modern Healing
Cupping therapy may have originated in ancient China, but it’s experiencing a strong resurgence in today’s wellness world—and for good reason. At Winding Willow Acupuncture & Wellness, cupping is a time-honored technique used by our licensed, highly trained acupuncturists to help relieve muscle tension, improve circulation, and promote deep relaxation.
Whether you’re recovering from a sports injury, managing chronic pain, or simply feeling worn down by stress, cupping therapy can be a powerful and supportive addition to your acupuncture treatment.
How Cupping Therapy Works
Cupping therapy involves placing specialized cups on the skin to create gentle suction. This suction draws blood and fluids to the surface area, helping to release tight muscles, reduce stagnation, and encourage the body’s natural healing processes.
From a traditional East Asian medicine perspective, cupping helps move Qi and Blood through the meridians, especially in areas where tension, pain, or restriction have settled. In modern terms, this increased circulation can help the body clear metabolic waste, reduce inflammation, break up adhesions in the fascia, and restore healthier movement patterns.
The result? Many patients feel lighter, looser, and more relaxed after treatment.
What Cupping Can Support
At our Portland acupuncture clinic, cupping therapy is commonly used to support:
- Neck, shoulder, and back pain
- Muscle tightness and limited range of motion
- Sports injuries and overuse injuries
- Motor vehical Accident (MVA) and Workers Compensation (WC) Injuries
- Headaches and tension-related pain
- Stress-related tension and fatigue
Cupping is especially popular among MVA and WC injured and athletes alike, because it helps speed recovery and improve mobility—but you don’t need to be acutely injured or an athlete to benefit. Anyone dealing with chronic tension, repetitive strain, or stress-related discomfort can respond well to this technique.
More Than a Trend: Why Practitioner Skill Matters
While cupping has become more visible in mainstream wellness spaces, it remains a clinical therapy that requires proper training and judgment. At Winding Willow Acupuncture & Wellness, cupping is performed by licensed acupuncturists with extensive education in anatomy, physiology, traditional diagnostics, and safe technique.
Our practitioners know:
- Which areas and conditions respond best to cupping
- How much suction is appropriate for each individual
- When cupping should be avoided or modified
- How to integrate cupping with acupuncture for the best results
- This expertise ensures that cupping is not only effective, but safe, intentional, and tailored to your body’s needs.
What Does Cupping Feel Like?
Despite how it may look, cupping is generally not painful. Most patients describe the sensation as a deep stretch or gentle pulling that feels relieving rather than intense. It often brings an immediate sense of release, especially in areas that have been holding tension for a long time.
The circular marks that sometimes appear after cupping are a normal response and usually fade within a few days. They are not bruises, but rather a sign of increased circulation in the treated area.
And yes—it really does feel pretty great.
Thoughtful Care, Rooted in Tradition
At Winding Willow Acupuncture & Wellness, cupping therapy reflects our approach to care as a whole: blending ancient wisdom with modern clinical understanding, always guided by careful assessment and individualized treatment. If cupping is appropriate for you, your acupuncturist will explain the process, answer questions, and integrate it thoughtfully into your treatment plan.
If you’re curious about cupping therapy or wondering whether it could support your health, we’re always happy to explore that with you during your visit.