Cupping Therapy

 

The Subtle Point specializes in treating a wide variety of pains through the use of cupping, Tuina massage, gua sha muscle scraping, to help relieve pain, loosen up muscle knots, and to improve circulation.

 

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How does cupping therapy work?

Scientifically cupping has been shown to work by stimulating blood flow into tissues, dilating blood vessels, and rupturing capillaries (that is where the cupping marks come from). When the capillaries rupture, macrophages (a type of white blood cell) clean up the erythrocytes (a red blood cell) by stimulating the production of an enzyme called Heme Oxygenase-1. When this enzyme breaks down the red blood cells into carbon monoxide, ferrous iron, biliverdin, and bilirubin. These 4 compounds have been shown to have antioxidative, anti inflammatory, anti proliferative (prevents the spread of cells, especially malignant cells, from spreading), and neuromodulatory (nerve regulation) effects. Some studies show that the feelings of relaxation and pain relief  comes from the stimulation and release of endogenous opioids from cupping.

 

Sources:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1744388117304024

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6435947/

How long do the cupping marks last for?

Cupping marks can last for a few days to a few weeks. It depends on how dark the marks were after the treatment, your overall health, and your skin sensitivity level. The cupping marks may be a light or dark red, to purplish in the beginning and will slowly fade over time. To speed up the resolution of these marks we recommend staying hydrated and using arnica.

Is cupping therapy safe? Who should get cupping?

Studies show that cupping is generally considered to be safe when conducted by a trained professional and adverse events usually arise through carelessness or inexperience. Cupping should be done with caution on patients with a history of: a bleeding disorder like hemophillia, deep vein thrombosis, stroke, skin disorders, organ failure.

What is cupping?

The ancient practice of cupping has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine and in many different countries. But what is cupping, exactly? Cupping involves placing cups on the skin to create suction, which helps to increase blood flow and promote healing. We like to describe the action of cupping like a reverse deep tissue massage. Instead of use digging deep into the muscles, the cups suck up the muscles and release tension similar to a massage.

What does cupping therapy treat?

Cupping is most often used to treat muscle aches and tension, but it can also be used to treat:

  • Stress and anxiety
  • Asthma and bronchitis
  • Certain types of headaches and migraines
  • Certain types of arthritis
  • Stretch marks
  • Cellulite
  • Range of motion issues

Where do the cups go?

The cups for cupping therapy are most often placed on the back, but they can also be used on the arms, face, legs, shoulders, and soles of the feet. The placement is relative to the conditions that a patient is experiencing. Facial cupping is slightly different from body cupping and lower suction cups are used to prevent bruising, and are used more to increase the circulation of the face and to relax the fascia around the muscles.

What are the side effects of cupping therapy?

Almost all patients who get cupping therapy will leave the clinic feeling more relaxed and their muscles will feel loose. The most common side effect is feeling a little dizzy after treatment, bruising, and discomfort in the areas that were cupped (usually lasts a few hours to 1-2 days). In rare circumstances patients may feel nauseous, get sweaty, or develop blisters. Blisters usually develop if the cups are left in place for too long, that is why at The Subtle Point we leave them on from anywhere between 8 to 12 minutes

What to Expect During Your Cupping Treatment

Tuina Massage

At the beginning of the treatment you can expect Tuina on your specific muscle knots and problem areas

Slide Cupping

This technique improves circulation, and relaxes muscle knots and tight muscles.

Stationary Cupping

The cups are usually left on for around 10 minutes and you can expect your muscles to relax and release

Relaxation

At the end of a cupping treatment over 90% of patients feel more relaxed and flexible

Our Prices

60 Minute Initial Cupping Treatment

Your first treatment will begin with an exam and we will discuss all areas of discomfort, and explain how cupping works. Your treatment will include  a warm up with massage tools, tuina style massage, and several different cupping techniques

$50

60 Minute Cupping Treatment

Our hour cupping treatments are recommended for patients that want to have multiple problem areas of their body to be addressed. These treatments can include a longer warm up phase with massage tools, tuina, and photobiomodulation.

$80

30 Minute Cupping Treatment

Half hour cupping treatments are recommended for patients that want one or two areas of their body to be addressed. These sessions will start with a quick warm up with massage tools or tuina and photobiomodulation.

$50

Over 290 Five Star Reviews

41 Five Star Reviews

Great experience. I do the 90 minute acupuncture and cupping combo. I usually go in with moderate to severe back pain and leave pain free. Mike does a great job explaining things…

– Emily L.

244 Five Star Reviews

Wonderful experience! Mike was amazing and truly cares about your health and healing. He offered lots of time to ask questions and discuss my issues. He also offered great sugges…

– Erin

8 Five Star Reviews

Michael is very knowledgeable..I’m a very hardworking Hair Stylist and since he has been treating my aching back I feel 20years Younger and so much out of pain.

– Nikki Sanchez

Our Patient's Cupping Testimonials

Had an excellent experience. I have been telling everyone how much I enjoyed cupping and I had not experienced it before

-Carson

 

I'm really glad I did this deal. All of the mental stress and exhaustion was gone by the time I got home from doing the acupuncture. My organs felt much more clearer from the acupuncture as well. The cupping really helped resolve a lot of my problem areas such as lower back pain and especially shoulder pain. The pain immediately subsided and I felt I was given a new body. Michael thoroughly asked questions to help ensure all my problem areas were addressed and gave detailed info on how to fix them. Highly recommend.

-Nali

 

Michael was very knowledgeable and professional. It was a very nice experience. We discussed regarding healthy food I am eating He recommended some food to try to help me with my weight and stress. It was a very productive discussion about stress, food. He also told me about cupping and what he’s doing next and if I was comfortable. I really recommend him.

-Mitsuko

 

This is part of my getting services while Black series. I booked my appointment through Groupon. I was on the search for acupuncture and cupping. I 100% recommend coming to see Michael. As soon as we sat down Michael made me feel comfortable. He asked me great questions about why I was there and what I was looking for. Even though i told him this wasn't my first time, he went over what would happen and made sure i didn't have questions. Michael treats for everything!! We had awesome conversation about kerif and other gut health foods. I learned a lot from him about why i was experiencing pain and how i could manage and prevent pain. Having the acupuncture and cupping in one session was new to me but i like it a lot. I was really relaxed and felt my muscles were relaxed before we started the cupping. The space was clean and could tell Michael takes extra care to make sure things are clean. I did not feel uncomfortable even once and 100% will suggest Subtle point to everyone I know wanting to incorporate eastern medicine into their lives. Overall, awesome experience getting services.

- Desa

 

Really wonderful experience with cupping and acupuncture. I felt attended to and had pain relief right away. Would come back again.

-Sarah

 

Mike is great!! Great service overall. I was having severe back pain and the Groupon had acupuncture, message guns, and cupping. I would highly recommend.

-Abigail

 

Mike was great! He explained everything and was very communicative about acupuncture and cupping processes. He also provided lots of recommendations continued treatments and for pain/stress management. This was a great experience and I plan to return!

-Kelsey

 

Wow. Best acupuncture, massage, cupping I have ever experienced. I highly recommend. Will be back. I found my spot. Awesome

-Laurie

 

Mike was amazing and so knowledgeable and professional. It was my first time cupping, so I was a little nervous, and he made me feel very comfortable. I will likely be purchasing a package in the future!

- Alexis

 

Mike was amazing. He made me feel very comfortable and at home. The Accupuncture and cupping worked wonders!!! I will most definitely be back!

-Kelsey

 

Mike, the owner, treated us both. Neither of us had ever done it before so we didn't know what it would mean to answer what we would like to work on. Logically, that would make sense but how could we guess where those needles would go?! We settled on getting Mike's help with anxiety and back pain which called for needles in the forehead, legs and stomach. Mike walked us through every step and distracted us from spontaneous combustion from nervous laughing at the sight of those needles with some solid banter. Just all around, so nice.

The cupping was such a weird sensation! At first I didn't think I continue this but as Mike assured me, it didn't hurt after a while and could no longer feel it. Some parts of your back will hurt less than others (the fatty love handles were a B-I). He took it easy since this was my first time trying it and I still wanted a little more relief in my back so he added a moving cup treatment which did the trick.

On a side note, I mentioned casually at some point being a bit disappointed by some of the options for "ethnic food" in Denver coming from New York and wanting to get back into BJJ. I left his office with a gym recommendation as well as a handwritten list of places I could go to for authentic food. Too sweet! Obviously, I would go back, I plan to go back and highly encourage you to try it as well. I definitely want to support this new business.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will it hurt?
I go off of patient thresholds of pain tolerance. Whether you are accustomed to rough deep tissue massages or more gentle style of massage I can adjust accordingly.

One style of tuina massage that I perform is a little painful, but is only performed for about a minute in order to release a muscle knot. If you want to avoid any pain all together I can go more gentle or skip this all together.

The slide cupping can hurt if it is your first time or if your muscles are extremely tight, but the purpose is to bring circulation and relaxation to a broad area and to cover the areas that the stationary cups miss.

The stationary cupping can cause your back to feel very tight in the beginning. After just a few minutes you can expect the cups to feel like they are loosening up. This feeling is a sign that your muscles are relaxing, and fyi they will not actually fall off in 99% of situations.

 

How Many treatments does it take?
The number of treatments that it takes to treat any given condition is based on a great number of factors. Some of these factors can include: how long you have had said condition, age, if the problem is caused from repetitive stress, your posture, etc. In some cases pain and tightness can be resolved for months just after 1 treatment and in other cases you can expect to come in for a follow up after a few weeks, or until after most of the cupping marks fade away.
How long is each treatment?
We offer 30, 60, and 90 minute sessions. The moving cupping on the entire back usually takes about 10 minutes, and the stationary cups are left on for about 10 minutes per area (less for patients with thinner or fragile skin). Depending on the area and condition that I am treating the additional time is spent on cupping on other areas and incorporating muscle scraping or tuina style massage.
Do i need to disrobe for my treatment?
In most cases you will, but it depends on the areas you want to have treated and what you are wearing to the clinic.
How can I schedule an appointment?
To schedule an appointment you can call, send us an email, or book online by clicking on the “Book Now” button in the upper right portion of the screen.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept cash, check, and credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover).
Do you accept insurance?
At this time I am not accepting insurance, but I can give you an invoice/superbill to give to your insurance company for reimbursement.

Location

3600 South Beeler Street Suite 150
Denver, CO 80237

Make an Appointment

To make an appointment please click the link below or call  (720) 285-6251

Open Hours

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 12pm - 8pm
Saturday: 10am - 7pm