We've all seen those big purple circles on pro athletes, but what is cupping therapy? Read on to demystify cupping and discover a new home-ready device from Therabody.
In terms of innovative recovery gear this year, the Theracup is a top contender. It brings professional-grade cupping treatment (safely) right to your home. I was very impressed with how well they worked in addition to how easy they were to use for the treatment they provided.
What is cupping?
Cupping is a form of alternative medicine used for ages in which suction created by a cup encourages blood flow to that area. PTs and Athletes use it for many purposes, including helping with pain, inflammation management, blood flow, recovery, and injury healing. It’s a special treatment not many usually get the luxury of and, until now, the challenge was that you needed a professional or trainer to do it.
For an additional background note, cupping is a recovery/treatment method that came to mainstream attention when people saw the big purple circles on Michael Phelps at the Rio Olympics.
I've had this therapy in the past at the PT office, but using these Theracups was the first time I had been able to do it myself. I was a bit intimated at first, but it was super easy, didn't hurt, and the pain relief afterward was remarkable.
The TheraCup
The first thing you will notice is how well-built the Theracups are. They are made by Therabody, the creator of the Theragun. They're a beautiful piece of wellness equipment and are so simple to use.
How to use the cups?
You apply the cups to a specific area for about 3 minutes per region. Just select the setting, location, and let it work.
What I like is how quick the treatments are and how easy the TheraCups make it. You turn on the cup, just place it on the area you want to treat, and the suction happens automatically. In addition to that, it's uses are really broad!
Uses for TheraCup:
Neck pain? Use them at the base of your neck on the inner part of your shoulders.
Knee Pain? Use them on your IT band to release a tight IT band that maybe add tension to your knee and make it track unnaturally.
Low Back Pain? Yes, please! Apply them to the left and right side of your low back. This is by far my favorite relief for low back pain. It addresses pain, and I feel the increased blood flow accelerates healing.
Options of Treatment:
You have three levels of suction to choose from, and for safety, it has a maximum suction that triggers it to shut off. You don't need to worry about going too far.
The Theracups also have three heat settings and vibrations, making it a much more pleasant, effective, and relaxing experience than standard cups.
I recommend you get two cups to start. We offer a single cup for people who already have 2 cups to add a third cup. You can use just two cups for your shoulders/neck and low back.
The third cup is helpful if you use them on your IT band, hamstring, quads, or your tibialis (outside of your shin). These locations benefit from 3 cups spread out in line with a few inches between them.
Last time I had cupping done it was $120 a session. So, in two sessions you have paid for a 2 pack of Theracups. The ROI is hard to beat on this piece of gear.
