Orthopedic Cupping Massage is a western medicine methodology of cupping practice. Cupping is usually practiced as part of TCM aka Traditional Chinese Medicine. Orthopedic cupping massage uses western musculoskeletal anatomy and more for practical application instead of energetical meridians.
Orthopedic cupping massage has emerged as a new, distinct form of bodywork.
The practice of cupping has highly evolved since Michael Phelps’ 2016 Rio Olympic cupping marks exploded over the internet.
A growing number of massage therapists have purchased and intuitively used cups in their respective practices over the past five years. What transpired was a bodywork evolution. The playbook of traditional meridian cupping was set aside, and orthopedic cupping massage emerged as a new distinct form of bodywork.
Orthopedic cupping massage stretches and releases soft tissue restrictions, which can create a human domino effect of better tissue metabolism and greater range of motion that can lead to better athletic performance and other health-related benefits.
While stationary cups applied along meridians are still practiced today with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), orthopedic cupping massage provides a new bodywork approach.
Aim for These 10 Points with Orthopedic Cupping Massage
Orthopedic cupping massage can be:
1. Easy to provide for a massage therapist who does not know the body’s meridians.
2. Modified for client comfort.
3. Practiced at a sporting event and other on-the-go settings.
4. Applied as a spot treatment.
5. Effective to stretch soft tissues in an opposite direction from mainstream bodywork.
6. Provided in difficult-to-work areas.
7. Utilized with passive and active joint range of motion.
8. Similar to myofascial skin rolling.
9. Less unsightly than the marks caused with stationary cupping.
10. Exercised within most massage therapy scopes of practice.
Here’s how the 10 points of orthopedic cupping massage work:
1. Practice with Anatomy instead of Meridians
Orthopedic cupping massage is practiced with anatomical references. Superficial soft tissues are stretched and manipulated with cupping movements to improve orthopedic function. Cups are generally moved from a superficial muscle’s origin to insertion and vice versa, in a variety of skillful applications.
2. Vary Pressure and Intensity for Client Comfort
A practitioner can choose from over a dozen skillful massage techniques, such as circling or twisting with the cups, for client needs or comfort. Different techniques have different pressures and intensity levels. Working within a client’s tolerance is essential to successful bodywork, especially when a client is already in pain.
When plastic cups with a hand pump are used, the practitioner can also control the intensity and pressure of the treatment by the amount of air that the practitioner pumps into or releases within the cup.
Between techniques, cup choices and applications, orthopedic cupping massage provides a practitioner exceptional control over how much soft tissue can be manipulated or stretched.
3. Sporting Events and On-the-Go Settings
Orthopedic cupping massage can be applied in different positions and settings beyond standard prone or supine table massage, which may provide greater or easier access for the practitioner as well. Examples include:
• A client who is in severe back pain and unable to climb onto or lie on a massage table could lean slightly forward in almost any chair for a practitioner to work cups up and down the erector spinae of the back.
• An athlete could lie supine on the ground with their lower leg raised over the seat of a chair for orthopedic cupping massage on a shin splint.
• A frozen shoulder client might be more comfortable while sitting in a chair instead of lying on a table.
4. Spot Treatments
Orthopedic cupping massage is most useful when it is applied to chronically tense areas. It puts cups in motion over orthopedic dysfunction such as scoliosis, tennis elbow or frozen shoulder, to stretch shortened and contracted tissues.
5. Stretch Soft Tissue in an Opposite Direction
Orthopedic cupping massage is a great alternative for practitioners who feel stuck with bodywork that is mostly applied in one direction. Most bodywork applications such as neuromuscular therapy (NMT), deep tissue massage or trigger-point therapy would focus on a practitioner applying pressure downwards, into the body.
Conversely, cupping provides reverse suction to pull soft tissues upwards, in an opposite direction. Orthopedic cupping massage additionally requires the practitioner to pull the cups with upwards and outwards movements with their hands, to generate the greatest amount of tolerable stretch to the underlying tissues.
Because orthopedic cupping massage stretches soft tissue in an opposite direction, it can also be used as a warm-up or in conjunction with deeper tissue modalities.
6. Difficult Bodywork Areas
A small cup can also provide extensive work within small work areas, such as the thenar eminence. Orthopedic cupping massage may be the only bodywork where a practitioner would not send their own thumbs to hell while sending their client’s thumb to heaven when working in such an arduous area.
7. Passive and Active Range of Motion Application
Orthopedic cupping massage can be additionally utilized with active or passive joint range of motion. With shin splints, a small cup can massage inferior to superior and back, along the lateral side of the mid to upper tibia. To increase the stretch of the underlying soft tissue, the ankle joint can be actively or passively flexed and extended during this anterior tibialis work.
8. Similar to Myofascial Skin Rolling
The intention in this evolving bodywork is to simply lift and separate the underlying soft tissues, like myofascial skin rolling—both are applied in motion. The difference between orthopedic cupping massage and skin rolling is that the cups can grasp a greater amount of underlying tissue with better comfort for the client than what a practitioner might achieve with their hands alone.
9. Less Cupping Marks and Bruising
Another win for orthopedic cupping massage is a client should have less bruising or marks than traditional stationary cupping applications. A little pinking of the skin is natural when suction or friction movements are applied; however, purposely causing hematomas or sending a client home full of bruises should never be the goal.
A practitioner is likely pressing down instead of pulling up on the cups during movement, performing too much work in the affected area, using too much suction or unnecessarily aggressive techniques if there are excessive marks or bruising during orthopedic cupping massage.
10. Scope of Massage Therapy Practice
Orthopedic cupping massage primarily uses plastic and silicone cups which are within most massage therapy scopes of practice because the client’s soft tissue is constantly being massaged with a tool in movement, which is the cup.
Stationary TCM cupping application with fire and glass cups along meridians are regularly considered beyond a massage therapist’s scope of practice and are not considered to be within a standard orthopedic cupping massage application.
In this brief 15-minute video below, we'll review the 10 Points of Orthopedic Cupping Massage in detail.
For comprehensive Cupping training please visit and register for training at: https://ceinstitute.com/collections/eastern
To review this ORTHOPEDIC CUPPING MASSAGE: A DISTINCT FORM OF BODYWORK article that is reviewed in this video in greater detail, please visit Massage Magazine at: https://www.massagemag.com/orthopedic-cupping-massage-127635/
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