Cupping and Low Back Pain in San Francisco

Cupping is an ancient Chinese modality that uses glass, ceramic, plastic or bamboo cups on the skin to create suction in a specific area. It can be applied to different areas of the body including, over the lungs, along energy meridians and even soft tissue to increase blood flow to the area and assist in breaking up congestion and stagnation.

Cupping in San Francisco has come to the forefront in recent years for treating musculoskeletal conditions due to its simplicity of administration, low cost and immediate symptom improvement. For the purposes of chiropractic care cupping has been shown to improve symptoms of low back pain, calf strain, shoulder pain, rotator cuff strain and muscle tightness. It has also been used on Olympic athletes to improve athletic performance.

Low Back Pain and Cupping

Low back pain is one of the most common reasons adults seek out chiropractic care with a lifetime prevalence of 50-80%. It is considered one of the most expensive health problems to treat and can cause debilitating effects to one’s life including decreased productivity at work, decreased ability to complete day to day tasks and activity level and a decrease in social life. Cupping on its own has been shown to significantly decrease pain due to acute low back pain and increase low back range of motion due to a decrease in muscle tension. Cupping along the muscles of the lower back increases circulation to the area which in turn improves the body's own healing processes as well as increases elongation of the muscles and relaxes the muscle tissue.

If you are experiencing low back pain or any of the symptoms discussed here or are interested in adding cupping to your current care plan schedule an appointment online.