Myofascial decompression is a relatively new treatment in the rehab & fitness world. You may remember Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps arriving to compete in 2016 with his back covered in circles, setting off the spark for people to learn more about the treatment. The use of plastic or glass cups to treat the body, commonly called “cupping” has been around for thousands of years. In Eastern medicine, cupping has been used for a number of benefits, primarily by fixing several (sometimes dozens) of cups to the body with the belief that the cups are restoring energy (Chi) to the body, removing toxins, or for general promotion of health. We take a slightly different approach here at Salt + Light Wellness.
We use plastic cups that allow us to see your muscle inside of the cup and apply negative pressure (decompression) up to 400 mmHg to increase blood flow to the area while creating separation between the different layers of muscle that overlap across our body. We also always incorporate movement with myofascial decompression as it enhances the effects of the cups on your skin. By using automated pressure “guns”, we’re able to ensure we’re working with a safe amount of pressure that provides significantly more decompression than traditional Eastern medicine with cupping. Especially when we believe muscles may be limiting motion or causing pain, myofascial decompression is one of our go-to tools.
What does the evidence say?
Studies performed on subjects with cups on their body under MRI have revealed that we’re doing exactly what we think we’re doing: separating different layers of muscle fibers from each other, sometimes down to the level of the bone. Myofascial decompression can be a potent treatment to help you feel better AND move better.
Interested in learning more or trying for yourself? Shoot us an email, call us or schedule now!
Dr. Nina Routon
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