There's a technique I learned while studying therapy over in Holland
that's difficult to categorize. It can be used locally for things like
scar mobilization or connective tissue massage, or it can be utilized,
usually on the back, for widespread systemic pain modulation via the
sympathetic nervous system and our own body's endogenous pain control.
Kind of like manual segmental therapy. The technique is called
"cupping," and its origins lie in Traditional Chinese Medicine. I am
sure there are many martial artists out there or those familiar with
various Eastern techniques that already know about cupping. For those
who don't, please read on.

Click to Enlarge

Cupping is like the bigger, badder brother to another therapeutic
massage technique, skin rolling. Since the skin is so well innervated
for all degrees of touch it makes an excellent two-way conduit to be
manipulated to activate the body's natural pain defense system. Both
techniques are great for disrupting adhesive qualities between layers of
connective tissue and fascia to re-establish blood flow and promote
fluid exchange. But cupping, literally a small glass fishbowl-like cup,
uses a pressurized vacuum to exact a significant upward "pull" on the
skin and deeper layers. This vacuum is created by introducing a small
flame into the cup (I use an isopropyl alcohol- soaked cotton ball on
forceps lit with a lighter. NB In the litigious US of A they now make
wimpy plastic balls with a rubber squeeze on the end. In a word, they
suck)) and then quickly place the cup where it needs to be. Any skin
surface needs to be well oiled before hand for maximum efficacy.

For example, if the cupping is to be used on the back (this is almost
exclusively where I use it) you can place the cup or cups )I usually use
two - I've seen some TCM folks placing the cups over acupuncture
needles...some patients will have over a dozen cups placed all over -
and start at the low back and work up, moving the cups both up/down and
side to side. I move the cups gently and slowly, stopping when the
patient acknowledges a change in sensation, or where it "hurts good." I
may leave the cups there for a minute or so and then move on. My own
experience with cups has been fantastic. After some initial discomfort
you generally experience great warmth all over the back and then calm.
You may be very tired afterwards. No driving or training immediately
following a session! You skin may also be red or even a little black or
blue. It is okay. My first session with the cups was in 1997. Two
cups for ten minutes. Short and sweet. I felt like a tired zombie for
over 24 hours afterwards, but as I recovered and my nervous energy
restored I felt very clear-headed and strong.

The application of the cups can be very specific, like placing a cup
over a scar to make it more pliable, or using the skin on the back from
T1 to L1 to tap into the spinal origins of the sympathetic nervous
system. This system originates, give or take, in the lateral horns of
the spinal cord from level thoracic one to about lumbar level one. This
is "fight or flight" stuff, and most of us in this day and age are
stuck a little bit in "fight." This sets the stage for stress hormones
like cortisol to simply exist in unnaturally elevated levels in the
blood. The result is delayed healing, suppressed immune response, and
that raw, burned out feeling. Using the cups is a bit like fighting
fire with fire. It is a deceptively heavy technique, but it will
promote that beautiful parasympathetic nervous tone. That's the "feed
and breed" stuff. Take your pick. Rest, recovery, strength, growth.
Maybe even a little nooky. Not too shabby.

This is a hard thing to try on yourself. You could end up burning
yourself or your house down. Find a practitioner if you want to give
this a try. Once a week, twice at most five days apart should do the
trick. The first session should probably last no more than a few
minutes. The last no more than twenty or twenty-five. Cycle it like
training: 1-2 x week for 4-6 weeks, then take a break. If you're like
me you'll find you sleep better, you'll have less nervous armpit sweat,
and you will feel calm yet energized. I believe that cold water dousing
and cupping share some similar metabolic pathways. Don't douse and cup
at the same time!!

Until next time. Train big, sleep big, think big...wear glasses if you
need em.