Soft Tissue Vacuum Cupping Course (includes vacuum cupping set, see below)
Vacuum cupping is a technique that has been used for thousands of years and is likely to be the second oldest treatment known to medicine.
Both the Ancient Egyptians and Chinese have written evidence of its use; however it seems that most cultures adopted it in some form as part of their medical treatment.
Cupping has been used to treat many ailments over time, from muscular aches and pains to disorders of the internal organs such as asthma, digestive disorders, colds and high blood pressure. It has been found that cupping affects circulation as deep as four inches below the surface of the skin.
Unlike Oriental cupping, which is used to treat specific internal disorders using meridian points, in massage therapy, soft tissue vacuum cupping is mainly used for the treatment of trigger points and the resultant muscular pain and spasm. Trigger points occur in a muscle when it is used for a period of time in conditions where it is not receiving enough oxygen and therefore has to perform anaerobic respiration.
This form of respiration can only be performed for a limited amount of time before it runs out of energy; the muscle then lacks the energy to release the contraction, the blood flow to that area of the muscle is restricted and the waste products from anaerobic respiration (lactic acid) become caught resulting in pain.
Some of the effects of the vacuum cupping are as follows:
- A localized stretching of muscle fibres
- Increased blood and lymph flow
- Reduction of oedema
- Stimulated metabolism
During this course you will learn the treatment of the following specific areas:
- Head and Neck
- Arms and Hands
- Chest and Abdomen
- Upper Back
- Lower back and Gluteals
- Posterior Legs and Feet
- Anterior Legs
- Side lying Back, Adductors and Gluteals
The course fee also includes a vacuum cupping set to utilise during the course and to keep.
(This will be given to you at the beginning of the course)
The prerequisite for this course is a Certificate IV of Massage Therapy
Start your remedial cupping course with MIMT
Trainers For This Course
Nieves Hannington
Nieves Hannington is an experienced Myotherapist, who works in a private practice that focuses on the management of soft tissue trauma in adolescent athletes.
Next Course date:
September 7th & 8th 2024 (Heidelberg Campus)
FAQS
Cupping is an ancient and alternative form of medicine where a massage therapist places cups on the skin for a few minutes, causing the skin and muscle to be pulled into the cup.
These cups are often made from glass or silicone.
Cupping therapy can be used to reduce pain and inflammation and can be used in deep tissue massage. With the Melbourne Institute of Massage & Myotherapy, you will learn how to use cupping to treat musculoskeletal problems and how this comes into the practice of remedial massage. You will also learn some traditional Chinese medicine philosophies and western perspectives on the benefits of cupping.
Throughout the course, we will review:
- Actions of cupping from a TCM and western perspective
- Indication of cupping
- Cautions and contraindications for cupping
- Methods of cupping
- Formulation of a cupping treatment plan
- Integration of cupping with massage by using case history examples
Note: a Certificate IV of Massage Therapy is a prerequisite for this course.
Cupping is not essential for massage therapists, myotherapists, and physiotherapists. However, it is still a beneficial skill to have – cupping is becoming more and more popular to treat musculoskeletal pain!
Before offering cupping therapy to your clientele, we recommend taking our nationally recognised cupping course and learning the essential skills to complete cupping safely and effectively.
Cupping courses are conducted face to face at our Heidelberg Campus.
Our cupping therapy courses are around 18 hours long. It is considered one of our short courses and an extension of our diploma and certificate courses.
Not necessarily. Some physiotherapists with knowledge around traditional Chinese medicine offer cupping to promote blood circulation by lifting the connective tissue, loosening adhesions, and restoring blood flow to areas of the body that have been restricted. This can be good for deep tissue repair.
However, not all physiotherapists find cupping helpful and the negative side effects (for example bruising and cupping marks) can sometimes outweigh the good.
Overall, we recommend taking a cupping course just to be safe – you never know where you’ll end up working, or if clients will request this unique form of massage therapy.
Cupping is becoming more and more popular for relaxation, wellbeing, and stress relief. While it is not essential to have cupping experience to become a massage therapist, we recommend taking a cupping course if you plan to offer cupping as a service.
Only students studying a Diploma of Remedial Massage at the Melbourne Institute of Massage & Myotherapy can apply for VET student loans. However, we have a wide range of student loan options to choose from.
For more information on our student loans, please get in touch with the course advisor.
At the Melbourne Institute of Massage & Myotherapy, you will receive both practical and theoretical experience. You will learn about traditional Chinese medicine philosophies and western perspectives on the effectiveness of cupping.
You will also get some hands on experience in our student massage clinic on campus. This will help ensure you know how to safely and effectively offer cupping to future clients and patients.
You will not be required to do work experience for this course.
Want to expand your skills even further? Taken an interest in traditional Chinese medicine and their philosophies? You might consider taking our interactive dry needling postgraduate course. Similar to the practice of acupuncture, dry needling involves inserting thin needles into the muscle to relieve stress, pain, and tension.