A service
Cupping
Glass cups set on the back, shoulders or legs with gentle suction, held for a few minutes or slid slowly over oiled skin.
People with a tight upper back or shoulders after long days at a desk or a wheel ask for it, alone or with needles.
A visit
What a visit is like, in order
- 01
Step 1: Talk and look
Your acupuncturist asks where you are tight and what you take, and checks the skin where the cups would go.
- 02
Step 2: Cups
The cups are set and you feel a pull, like a firm hold. Tell us if it is too strong and we ease it.
- 03
Step 3: A few minutes
Cups stay for a few minutes, or are moved slowly. Nothing is left on you unattended.
- 04
Step 4: Afterward
Round marks, faint to dark, are common and usually fade in a few days to a week. Tell us if you have an event where they would show.
Before we begin
Tell us first
Any of these changes what we do. Say so when you book or at the start of your visit.
You are or might be pregnant
Some points are avoided in pregnancy. We may suggest you check with your prenatal provider first.
You take a blood thinner or bleed easily
Needles and cups can bruise more. Your acupuncturist adjusts what they do, or waits for your doctor's word.
You have had lymph nodes removed
Tell us which side. We keep needles out of that arm or leg.
Needles worry you
Say so. We can start with fewer needles, or with none, and go at your pace.
Your skin is fragile, sunburned or broken
We skip cups on that skin, or do not use them at all.
You dislike a pulling feeling
Say so. We can use a lighter pull, or another kind of visit.
How many visits, and what this does not do
How many visits
Your acupuncturist suggests a plan after the first visit or two and reviews it with you each time. It is their plan for you and not a promise of a result, and your health plan may set a limit of its own.
What it does not do, and when to see a doctor instead
Acupuncture does not replace emergency care, imaging, surgery or your doctor's care, and it does not work for everyone. See a doctor first, or call 911, for sudden severe pain, new weakness or numbness, numbness in the groin or between the legs, new trouble controlling your bladder or bowels, chest pain, or back pain with a fever.
Cups can leave round marks and, rarely, blisters. Your acupuncturist explains the risks before they begin, and cups are never placed on the abdomen or low back in pregnancy.
Questions about cost?
We check what pays before you come in, and a self-pay estimate is in writing before your first visit.