cupping
by Shayne Narro
an olympic
experience
I recently tried cupping at Ponchatoula
Physical Therapy and was not really sure
what to expect because I had never heard of
it before going in. Joel and Scott were talking
to me about how Michael Phelps used it as a
recovery method, and I mentioned how my
shoulder is in need of recovery from all the
years of baseball I have played.
Joel put on the suction cups with a manual
pump on my biceps tendon/rotator cuff area
at the top of my shoulder. I felt a slight pain
from the suction that the cups were pulling up
on my skin, but after about five minutes, I felt
immediate relief because of the blood flow the
treatment created in that area.
For about a year and a half now, I have been
dealing with shoulder troubles in every day life,
whether it be swinging a golf club, or picking up
a cup from the top shelf in a cabinet. The relief
that it gave me was immense and immediate,
and I would recommend it to anyone who is
having day to day muscle aggravations. It is
very simple and very quick.
It does leave bruising but the bruises do not
hurt to touch, so it is more like a discoloration.
Other than that, I have no side effects and will
be requesting cupping more in the near future.
20
Cupping can be performed on several different areas of the body
to increase blood flow and allow for immediate pain relief. Still, you
should speak to a healthcare professional and have the treatment
administered by someone trained in the method. This is definitely not
something you want to try at home.
Shayne tries cupping to help the pain he has from overuse in baseball.
He experienced nearly immediate relief in his shoulder area and looks
forward to the next treatment.