Services
Cupping
Cupping places a glass or silicone cup on the skin and draws it up gently. The cup stays in place or slides over large muscles, usually for a few minutes.
Who usually comes in
Runners and cyclists with tight thighs and calves, skiers and climbers with a stiff upper back. It is often added to an acupuncture visit, and sometimes it is the whole visit.
In the room
Cups are cleaned between visits, and the skin is checked before and after.
What a visit is like, in order
Faint round marks usually fade in a few days. You may feel warm, loose or a little tender.
- 01
Step 1: We talk
Naoki asks which muscles feel tight and checks your skin where the cups would go.
- 02
Step 2: The cups go on
Cups are placed on the back, thighs or calves and left for about five to ten minutes, or slid slowly. You are draped throughout.
- 03
Step 3: They come off
He releases each cup and wipes the area. You may see faint round marks.
- 04
Step 4: You rest
Take a minute before you stand. Drink water and skip a hot sauna or a hard session that day.
Tell us first
Say any of these when you book, and again at the visit.
Blood thinners or bleeding
If you take a blood thinner or bleed easily, tell us. Marks are likelier and we may not use cups.
Sunburn or broken skin
Cups are not used on sunburned, cut or irritated skin.
Pregnancy
Tell us if you are or might be pregnant, so we can choose where cups go.
Lymph nodes removed
We keep cups away from that side.
Marks and your plans
If you have an event, a photo shoot or a beach trip, say so. We can use lighter cupping or skip it.
Worry about the feeling
Tell us. The pull is adjustable, and we can stop whenever you ask.
How many visits, and what this does not do
Most people try cupping once or twice and decide whether it adds anything. You choose, and we never add it without asking.
What it does not do
It does not replace your doctor's care, a physical therapist or a coach, and we do not ask you to stop any medicine. We do not promise a result: people respond differently.
When to see a doctor instead
See a doctor or an urgent care clinic first for sharp pain after a fall or a hit, a swollen joint you can't put weight on, a joint that gives way, new numbness or weakness, or a fever. For chest pain, trouble breathing or any emergency, call 911.