Suction cupping by trained practitioners, usually as part of a manual therapy session.
Cups are applied to the skin and suction is drawn, either by heat or by a hand pump. They are either left in place or moved across oiled skin. It is usually combined with acupuncture or massage rather than booked alone.
Cupping leaves circular discolouration where the cups sat. This is expected, it is not a bruise in the usual sense, and it typically fades over several days to a fortnight.
Worth planning around if you have a wedding, a beach or a board meeting in the week after you fly home. Say so and the practitioner will place cups where clothing covers them.
You take anticoagulants, bruise easily, have a bleeding disorder, have any skin condition or open wound in the area, or are pregnant. Cups are not placed over varicose veins, recent scars or inflamed skin.
Mountains of Hope holds a Colombian IPS medical facility licence, and everything here sits inside a protocol set by our medical team.
Book a consultation if you would like to discuss whether any of this is appropriate for you.