Cupping is an incredible technique that may help to alleviate muscular tension! You might have seen world class swimmers donning these cup marks at the last Olympics! Contrary to popular belief, these marks are not bruises and are instead a great diagnostic tool that gives your practitioner a deeper understanding of the state of your health. This technique requires a skilled practitioner to draw air out of the cup using a flame or suction gun and to quickly press the cup onto the body causing the tissue to be sucked up like a vacuum. Cool right? Instead of alleviating tension by compressing the muscle fibres like massage, the cup allows these muscular layers to spread apart, causing blood to rush in bringing with it many of the nutrients required for tissue repair.