Cupping, Aire & Getting Those Knots to LET TF GO

Okay, so let’s talk about cupping. 

If you grew up in a Latino household, you already know somebody has blamed “aire” for at least one bodily inconvenience. 

You catch a cold breeze, turn the wrong way, or suddenly feel that little catch in your back, and BOOM. Somebody’s telling you that “te entró aire.”

And listen… culturally, we might describe it differently than how medicine explains muscle spasms, but YOU KNOW THE FEELING I’M TALKING ABOUT. That deep-ass knot between your shoulder blades that makes you wanna ask somebody to just stab you in the back already. LIKE PLEASE, GET IT OUT!!

And that’s one of the reasons I LOVE cupping.

My mom is a massage therapist too, and when I first started my career, she taught me about fire cupping and how it’s used. These days, I use suction cups in my own practice, and honestly? It’s become one of my favorite modalities to incorporate into a session.

There’s just something about having another way to approach those stubborn areas of tension instead of relying on my hands alone.

With cupping, the suction lifts the skin and underlying tissues rather than pressing down into them. It’s a different approach, and when it’s appropriate for the client, I love having that option in my toolbox.

Especially when somebody comes in carrying the weight of the entire damn world in their shoulders. 

BUT THE CLIENT EXPERIENCES??? THAT’S WHAT GETS ME.

I have one friend who deals with recurring sciatic pain, and she’s told me that after our cupping sessions, she can go MONTHS without feeling it.

Another friend has arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. She deals with stubborn knots around her shoulder blades and flare-ups in her forearms and hands. Since incorporating cupping into her sessions, she’s noticed that her discomfort isn’t as constant as it used to be.

Now, before anybody gets carried away, everybody’s body is different. These are their personal experiences, not a promise that cupping treats sciatica, arthritis, or carpal tunnel. Research on cupping for pain is still limited, and it isn’t a replacement for medical care.

BUT when somebody tells me they’re feeling more comfortable after a session? Of course I’m happy about that!

That’s literally part of why I do what I do.

And can we PLEASE talk about the marks? 

It’s not as scary as it looks. Cupping can leave those circular, bruise-looking marks because the suction affects the small blood vessels beneath the skin.

No, darker marks do NOT mean you got a better session. And no, the goal is not to leave looking like an octopus won a fight with your back. 

We’re trying to help you feel more comfortable, not audition you for a crime scene reenactment.

Now that the weather is getting colder, I already know some of y’all are about to start talking about catching aire, feeling stiff, or turning the wrong way and suddenly having a muscle seize up.

Cold weather can make some people tense up, and sudden movements can trigger spasms. Aire is a cultural way of describing certain experiences of discomfort, though it isn’t a medical diagnosis.

And if your pain is persistent, severe, or comes with numbness or weakness, please get it checked out instead of assuming it’s just a stubborn knot.

We can appreciate traditional knowledge AND take advantage of what modern medicine has taught us. BOTH CAN EXIST. 

Honestly, one of my favorite things about this work is that I learned about cupping from my mom, who understands the profession firsthand, and now I get to build on that foundation through my own experiences with my clients.

I’m not gonna sit here and tell you cupping fixes everything. That’s not how bodies work, and that’s not how I practice.

But I LOVE having another tool in my toolbox. I love being able to approach tension differently, adapt my techniques, and hear when somebody tells me they’ve been feeling better.

At the end of the day, I just want people to feel more comfortable in their bodies.

And if cupping can be one part of helping them get there?

THEN, PASS ME THE CUPS.