The use of medical cups in the treatment of osteochondrosis is one of the reflexology methods that goes well with classical or acupuncture massage. The clinical effect of the procedure is due to improved blood circulation in the area of destroyed intervertebral discs and vertebral bodies. Cups are placed on the back for any type of osteochondrosis - cervical, thoracic, lumbosacral.
From ancient times to the present day
Chinese cupping massage is an ancient form of therapy that has been used for thousands of years. To enhance the effect on the vertebrae, healers used means that could create a vacuum: bamboo, glass or ceramic jars.
Modern cupping massage combines classic massage techniques (kneading, stroking, rubbing, etc.) with vacuum therapy. You may have seen or heard about the use of fire to create a vacuum. Today, flexible silicone cups are more often used for greater safety.
What is efficiency?
Before installing the medical jar, air is removed from it using an open flame. Thanks to the created vacuum, a small container is tightly attached to the skin in the area of discs and vertebrae that have undergone destructive and degenerative changes. During the procedure, the patient’s body has a multifaceted positive effect:
- blood and lymph circulation improves, deficiency of nutrients and oxygen is eliminated;
- the severity of inflammatory edema, which provokes pinching of sensitive nerve endings and blood vessels, is reduced;
- products of their decay, accumulated toxins, and harmful salts are removed from soft, cartilaginous, and bone tissues affected by pathology;
- muscle tone is normalized by relaxing skeletal muscles and eliminating compression of the spinal roots;
- the severity of pain and stiffness decreases.
The use of medical cups also gives a massage effect. This has a beneficial effect on the patient’s well-being, his physical and psycho-emotional state.
Effect of vacuum massage on the body
The procedure allows you to quickly activate blood circulation in the spine in case of osteochondrosis, expand the pores, and create conditions for the outflow of lymph from the nerve roots. As a result, inflammation and swelling are relieved. The result is pain relief.
Vacuum back massage:
- facilitates skin breathing through pores;
- increases lymph circulation;
- reduces tissue swelling;
- stimulates autonomic innervation and calms the nervous system;
- increases local immunity.
The key result of the procedure is blood flow to the affected organs, the creation of hyperemia and slight tingling, which is explained by active reactions at the cellular level.
| Type of service | Procedure time | Price |
| Acupressure | up to 15 min. | 1000 rub. |
When can you bet banks?
In the acute and subacute period of osteochondrosis, cups are not used. They are also prohibited from being used in cases of severe aseptic inflammation that occurs when soft tissues are damaged by osteophytes (bone growths). Vertebrologists and neurologists recommend this method of treatment at the stage of remission or in the rehabilitation period after the main therapy. The following pathological conditions are indications for the use of medical containers:
- nagging, aching, pressing pain in the back that occurs after hypothermia, physical activity or during an exacerbation of other chronic pathologies;
- decreased sensitivity caused by infringement of the spinal root;
- muscle spasms, aggravating the course of osteochondrosis, increasing the intensity of the pain syndrome;
- muscle weakness, dangerous for subsequent atrophy of skeletal muscles;
- a sedentary lifestyle and low physical activity are the reasons for the progression of the pathology.
In case of lumbosacral osteochondrosis, cupping therapy is carried out to prevent lumbago - acute pain that severely limits movement. And for cervical and thoracic pathologies, this method of treatment is used to eliminate neurological symptoms. Several sessions of cupping massage can normalize blood pressure, eliminate headaches and dizziness.
Indications
- Spinal osteochondrosis outside the acute phase.
- Radicular symptom, lumbago.
- Peripheral neuritis, neuralgia.
- Headache.
- Chronic radiculitis.
- Pneumonia, bronchitis.
- Increasing the body's immune defense.
- Bronchial asthma without an attack.
Stimulating the immune system and the anti-stress effect not only relieve pain in the spine, but also create a certain reserve of strength in the body. The depth of impact of vacuum massage of the spine for osteochondrosis allows you to achieve an analgesic effect after the first session.
Which banks are suitable?
Just a few years ago, only classic containers made of thick transparent glass could be purchased in pharmacies. They are still not losing ground, despite the expanded range of medical devices. A worthy analogue of glass containers are silicone ones, which have their own advantages:
- easier processing before and after the procedure;
- durability, long service life;
- ease of storage.
Glass and silicone jars for procedures.
Silicone jars cannot be broken and, therefore, cannot be injured by their fragments. Ceramic and plastic products are less in demand. The former are not suitable for long-term procedures, and the latter can put excessive pressure on the skin. In massage and beauty salons, small containers made of polished bamboo are used, but not because of the high therapeutic effect, but to attract customers.
Contraindications
- Oncological skin diseases.
- Large benign papillomas, hemangiomas of the back.
- Hemorrhagic diathesis.
- Tuberculosis.
- Crisis course of hypertension.
- Severe cardiac arrhythmias.
- Convulsive syndrome, epilepsy.
- Psoriasis.
- Oncological diseases.
- Pregnancy.
- Thrombophlebitis.
- Presence of a pacemaker.
You may be allergic to the massage oil used. In addition, before performing a massage, you need to stretch your back muscles well.
Relative contraindications:
- thermal procedures - hot, steam baths;
- age over 80 and under 2 years;
- heart failure.
Features and technique
It is first necessary to lubricate the back area with a fatty cream to reduce friction and relieve the patient from discomfort. In addition, the can moves more easily and softly over lubricated skin. You can also perform a light massage to further warm up the skin and prepare your back for cupping. To create a vacuum, the jars are doused with fire.
The surface of the edge of the jar must be absolutely smooth, without nicks that could damage the patient’s skin. In the vast majority of cases, medical jars are made of glass, although you can also find products made of ceramics, porcelain, stone and other materials. To begin with, the specialist places sterilized jars on the patient’s back, having previously doused them with fire. This will create a vacuum in the cavity of the jar.
Attention! The skin should not be pressed into the cavity of the jar by more than 1–1.5 cm! Otherwise, the procedure will cause the patient severe pain.
Once they are installed, you can begin to gradually move them. At first the movements are slow. The vessels on the surface of the back must gradually get used to it and prepare for the action of the vacuum. Gradually, you can begin treatment directly. Dynamic vacuum therapy involves moving cups along the venous-lymphatic flow, and not vice versa or chaotically.
This helps speed up all processes rather than drown them out. Movements can be not only linear, but also slightly zigzag, circular, squeezing, with shaking or light tapping of the surface of the back. Where exactly should the jars be placed? It all depends on the area to which the specialist’s attention needs to be directed.
Classic back massage
Massage with cups for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is carried out by installing and applying cups around the seventh cervical vertebra. The vertebra itself cannot be massaged with a jar!
After 10–15 such movements, you can move on to linear movement of the can towards the sides, from the head to the shoulders. If it is necessary to influence the vertebrae in the chest and lower back, then they usually start with a linear movement up and down along the spine on both sides, and then complicate the technique with zigzags and semicircles.
How should a person feel? If you place the cups correctly on your back, you will feel a burning sensation and slight pain. The skin is red and remains so for up to an hour after the end of the massage. The duration of the procedure is 10 minutes.
A specialist can use both glass and vacuum jars for back massage
Hardware vacuum massage of the spine
Special equipment with an installed pressure sensor allows you to adjust the level of exposure, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient. The duration of the session depends on this, which ranges from 20 to 40 minutes. Special attachments have anti-cellulite and anti-aging effects and can be used for weight loss.
Therapeutic vacuum back massage for osteochondrosis is performed according to the classical scheme. One full course can relieve pain in the spine. To avoid complications, use the services of qualified specialists. You can make an appointment at the Yellow Emperor clinic by phone or on the website.
Basic methods
Treatment of osteochondrosis with cupping can be static or dynamic, manual or hardware. The method of mechanical action is chosen by the doctor, taking into account the stage of the pathology, the degree of damage to the intervertebral discs, and the severity of symptoms. The presence of neurological clinical manifestations and the causes of their occurrence are also important. When the vertebral artery is compressed, dynamic manual cupping massage is usually used, and when the spinal roots are pinched, a simple static installation is usually used.
Mechanical impact
The essence of the procedure is a combination of vacuum and massage techniques. Oil or a special cream with a warming effect is applied to the area of pain. The products used should be at room temperature, since muscle tone increases in response to cold exposure. Oils and creams are used not only to facilitate the sliding of cups over the surface of the skin, but to prevent the formation of hemorrhages when pressed.
The massage is performed in a circular motion, carefully moving glass or silicone containers. Not only the area where osteochondrosis is localized is treated, but also nearby parts of the body. For example, with cervical pathology, they affect the shoulders, upper back, lumbar pathology - on the hips, buttocks. The duration of the procedure is 5-15 minutes.
Cupping massage schemes for osteochondrosis.
Dynamic vacuum procedure
Only one jar, usually glass, is used for the procedure. To ensure that the vacuum is maintained while it moves through the patient’s body, only spasmodic muscles are treated. At first, the container moves slightly from side to side and rotates slightly. After warming up, the massage therapist performs rubbing, pressing, and stroking.
The duration of the dynamic vacuum procedure depends on the degree of muscle tension. Treatment of the neck lasts no more than 10 minutes, and the mechanical impact is strictly dosed. A back massage takes about 15-20 minutes. At the end of the session, the patient is advised not to change his body position for half an hour.
Static therapy
Placement of cups is carried out in a lying or sitting position. In the latter case, silicone or plastic containers are used that cannot break if accidentally dropped. After creating a vacuum by burning out oxygen or compression, they are installed next to the damaged intervertebral discs and do not move throughout the entire procedure. To enhance the therapeutic effect, no cream or oil is used, and the treated area of the body is insulated with thick fabric. The duration of static cupping therapy is about half an hour.
The photo shows an example of placing cups on both sides of the spine.
Magnetic vacuum
Magnetic vacuum therapy is the effect on muscles, ligaments, and soft tissues of special containers equipped with magnets. In the treatment of osteochondrosis, both their static setting and sliding massage are used. A magnet placed inside the jar creates a magnetic field that penetrates the skin to a depth of 12 cm. The container is also equipped with a sharp metal cone, which causes a reflex effect on biologically active points.
During a medical procedure, the cups are smoothly shifted to treat not only the spasming muscles, but also nearby areas of the body. In this way, trophism is activated and congestion in the entire spinal column is eliminated.
Vacuum gradient
Vacuum gradient therapy is a method of reflex action on the body due to pressure differences in tissues located superficially and at depth. After placing special cups, the skin and subcutaneous tissue are compressed by their edges. At the same time, deep layers are drawn into the container. The result is the appearance of a horizontal-vertical pressure difference on the tissue segments.
| Stage of impact of vacuum gradient therapy on the spine | Characteristics and therapeutic effect |
| Tissue metabolic "micro-explosion" | Thanks to the pressure difference in the area of damaged intervertebral discs, metabolic processes, lymphatic drainage, and the removal of decay products and mineral salts from tissues are accelerated |
| Medicinal | There is an acceleration of blood circulation, relaxation of skeletal muscles, restoration of sensitivity, resorption of inflammatory swelling, elimination of compression of the spinal roots and blood vessels |
| Reconstructive | The reserves of nutrients and oxygen are replenished, which stimulates the acceleration of restoration of vertebral structures affected by osteochondrosis |
Interval vacuum
Interval vacuum therapy is an intermittent reflex and at the same time mechanical effect on the connective tissue structures located in the lower part of the spinal column. The procedure is indicated for patients with vertebrogenic disorders of the lower extremities caused by osteochondrosis.
With the help of alternating pressure (first normal, then low), lymph circulation is enhanced and blood flow in muscles and soft tissues is activated. A special device is used to carry out interval vacuum therapy. Inside there is a cylindrical space into which the patient's legs are placed, and a sealing device is located in the waist area. To create normal and low pressure, the device is equipped with a vacuum pump.
Interval vacuum therapy.
How is cupping massage performed for osteochondrosis?
The traditional procedure is performed as follows:
- a person lies on his stomach, if there is osteochondrosis of the neck, he sits down, rubs his back and neck with vodka;
- a piece of cotton wool is taken with tweezers, moistened with ethanol and set on fire, brought to the vessel;
- the container heated from the inside creates a draft that has therapeutic effects;
- the skin is lubricated with cream;
- carry out circular manipulations for 2 minutes on the affected area;
- massage shoulders, back, neck.
It is important not to touch the spine. The manipulation is carried out at a distance of 5 centimeters from the problem area. After removing the cans, the victim is covered with a blanket and given a warm drink.
Silicone products have replaced glass jars. They have the same effect, but do not require heating. To carry out the event, they are wiped with alcohol, the skin is smeared with cream and the same actions are carried out as in the case of glass jars.
What are cough cups?
Few people have not heard at least once in their lives about a miraculous procedure using small mysterious vessels that are placed on the patient’s back in even rows, causing it to turn purple. This ancient method of relieving cough is very effective and allows children or seriously ill adults to relieve cough and swelling of the respiratory tract in a short time.
Healing cups can be of two main types:
- classic glass;
- modern polymer.
Modern jars are made of polymer plastic with a silicone bulb
Glass jars for coughs have been used for a very long time; almost everyone has an idea about this procedure. They are a small teardrop-shaped vessel with a slightly narrowed neck, which is pressed against the skin when used. To install them, you need to have some experience, since the process is quite complex and involves interaction with an open fire. Those who are involved in medicine should purchase the glass version.
More practical jars made of silicone or plastic (with a special rubber bulb) are placed much easier - just press on the moving part of the vessel, and they instantly “stick” to the patient’s skin. This does not require any preparation of the vessels themselves. Ease of use and higher strength compared to glass determine their unprecedented popularity. However, despite the high demand, how can cups really help with a cough and can they be used during illness?
Rules for performing cupping massage
The following recommendations will help you correctly position and remove products.
- To install the jars, you need to press firmly in the middle and apply them to the painful area, then release.
- To remove, press on the container until it comes off.
Therapy lasts 15-30 minutes, and the number of procedures is determined by the doctor. Due to increased blood flow to soft tissues, a healing effect is produced:
- cellular metabolism is stimulated;
- The functioning of all organs is normalized and muscle tension is relieved.
The cupping method of eliminating the disease is carried out in a course; this is the only way to successfully extinguish the severity of symptoms.
What is the effect of the procedure?
In fact, everything depends on the shape of the products, as well as on the place in which they were installed.
It is worth considering that jars can be of different sizes and shapes. Some require heating, while more modern flasks can be installed directly on the body, without preheating. Only if a person knows how to properly place cups when coughing can one count on a favorable outcome. Unfortunately, many people use this method on a whim and do not think much about the correct technique for using medical flasks.
Thus, using cans is practically Russian roulette. If an inexperienced person installs the products in the wrong place, then in this case he may have an impact on organs for which such measures are contraindicated. You need to understand that when a person installs cups for a cough or any other illness, very strong pressure and vacuum are created under the flasks. The skin begins to activate processes that affect the movement of lymph. Even after all the cans are removed from a person’s skin, the effect of the procedure lasts for several more days. Therefore, strict adherence to the rules is important.
For whom massage is contraindicated?
Cupping massage has general and temporary contraindications that you should know about in advance. A temporary ban on massage is determined by the following factors:
- the presence of infections and inflammatory processes in the body;
- exacerbation of chronic diseases;
- postoperative period;
- presence of damage to the skin - abrasions, cuts, bruises;
- skin diseases (eczema, fungus, lichen);
- pregnancy;
- physical or nervous exhaustion.
During pregnancy, especially in later stages, cupping massage is contraindicated
The vacuum procedure in such cases can cause significant harm to health, so it is better to choose other methods for treating osteochondrosis until these causes are eliminated.
Absolute contraindications to cupping massage are:
- cardiovascular diseases;
- serious pathologies of the respiratory organs;
- poor blood clotting;
- renal failure;
- presence of oncological tumors;
- arthrosis, spondyloarthrosis and osteochondrosis in severe form;
- hypertension.
Cupping massage is contraindicated in case of serious pathologies of the spine
Increased blood circulation caused by massage in such diseases can provoke a sharp deterioration in the condition and also lead to the development of complications. To completely exclude this possibility, it is necessary to undergo the most thorough examination, that is, you need to contact not only a vertebrologist, but also other specialists. Massage should be done with caution for those who have birthmarks or convex moles on their back. Under no circumstances should banks be placed on them, so as not to provoke the development of melanoma.
If there are moles and melanomas on the back, cupping massage should be performed with great caution
The effect of therapeutic massage
After a therapeutic massage session, you will feel a surge of energy and notice a significant improvement in your well-being. The technique allows you to achieve the following:
- relieving spasmodic sensations in muscles and joints;
- strengthening the immune system;
- improvement of lymph and blood flow;
- elimination of tissue swelling;
- acceleration of metabolism;
- relieving stress and nervous tension;
- improvement of posture.
The first changes will become noticeable after the 3rd session. By the 10th procedure, the condition of the whole body will significantly improve, pain and discomfort in the muscles will disappear, and a feeling of lightness and vigor will appear.