How Cupping Therapy Helps Relieve Muscle Tension & Speed Up Recovery In Metairie, LA

If you’ve ever noticed those circular marks on the shoulders or backs of athletes and wondered where they come from, the answer is cupping therapy.

Cupping therapy is actually an ancient healing technique that’s recently grown in popularity for its incredible ability to reduce stiffness, ease sore muscles, and promote faster injury recovery.

That’s why we’re very proud to announce that we’re now offering cupping therapy in Metairie, LA for all of our patients, so check out the below sections to discover the benefits of cupping therapy as a part of your PT routine!

What Exactly Is Cupping Therapy?

Cupping therapy utilizes special cups that are placed on a patient’s skin in order to create a strong suction effect. This pulling motion lifts an individual’s skin and underlying tissues, which subsequently loosens tight muscles, increases blood flow, and encourages the body’s natural healing processes.

At FunXional PT, our trained physical therapists often use cupping as just one part of a much larger, personalized treatment plan. And unlike traditional cupping methods that rely on glass cups and heat, we use modern PT-based cupping techniques with plastic or silicone cups that offer a more controlled suction.

This more tech-savvy approach to cupping gives our therapists the ability to more easily adjust placement and intensity, which is typically based on a patient’s specific treatment goals and comfort levels.

How Cupping Therapy Alleviates Muscle Tension

Muscle tension often develops from issues like poor posture, overuse and stress—which all just so happen to be common dilemmas for athletes, active adults and even office workers.  

When your muscles suddenly become abnormally tight, you’ll experience decreased blood circulation that then leads to reduce mobility and soreness. What’s great about cupping therapy is that it gently lifts a patient’s muscle tissue in a way that naturally increases local blood flow to an affected area. This influx of nutrients and oxygen goes a long way to flush out metabolic waste and toxins, which ultimately eases stiffness and restores an individual’s normal movement.

Many patients describe the sensation of cupping therapy as a deep compression or stretch. This is likely due to the suction effect releasing tight fascia (connective tissue) that can often be the hidden culprit of lingering discomfort and pain.

And after cupping treatments, your muscles will undoubtedly feel a lot more relaxed and looser. This will allow for a far better range of motion during your daily activities, at-home PT routines and exercises!

Accelerating Injury Recovery

Whether you’re recovering from a sprain, training for a race or managing chronic pain, cupping therapy is incredibly valuable toward speeding up recoveries.

By stimulating blood circulation, cupping is capable of repairing soft tissue and reducing inflammation—which is particularly beneficial for Metairie-based athletes who need to stay active while not letting chronic soreness slow them down.

Cupping is also the perfect complement for other PT techniques like stretching, manual therapy and dry needling. When combined together, these PT treatments develop a well-rounded recovery approach that reduces pain, improves flexibility and enhances your overall performance.

A common example includes doing a cupping session after a sports practice or intense gym session, because this can minimize what’s known as delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) by reducing muscle fatigue and improving lymphatic drainage.

And the results are faster recoveries, less tightness, and far fewer disruptions to your ongoing training routine!

What Patients Can Expect During Cupping Therapy Sessions

If you’re considering cupping therapy for your first time, you can expect a noninvasive, relaxing appointment experience.

Your physical therapist will apply the cups to your specific pain areas, or they’ll decide where to place the cups on your behalf based on your recent activity level. The cups might stay stationary for the whole treatment, or they might be gently moved in order to create a massage-like effect.

Afterwards, you’ll likely notice some temporary, circular marks on your skin—which is perfectly normal due to the increased blood flow that occurred. These marks fade within just a few days, and they’re not bruises.

Most cupping therapy patients report feeling pain relief immediately, as well as a deep relaxation effect after each session!

Reach Out To The FunXional PT Team To Schedule Your Next Cupping Therapy Appointment In Metairie, LA!

Cupping therapy isn’t just for professional athletes, because it’s really for anyone who’s dealing with stress, muscle tension or an injury recovery.

So, are you currently interested in experimenting with cupping therapy to alleviate your ongoing symptoms? Do you live in the Metairie, LA area?

If you answered yes to the above questions, then you’ve come to the perfect PT website!

Welcome to FunXional PT, a renowned physical therapy clinic that combines evidence-based PT practices and time-tested techniques to create customized treatment plans for each patient’s unique goals.

Whether you’re recovering or managing everyday soreness, cupping is undoubtedly a very powerful tool to facilitate an age-old, natural healing process.

Reach out to us online or give us a call at 504-517-4594 to schedule your next cupping appointment with us today!