Cupping + Chiropractic: a perfect match
The Benefits of Cupping + Why It’s Especially Helpful Post Adjustment:
If you’ve ever seen someone with small, circular marks on their back and wondered what caused them, you’ve probably seen the effects of cupping therapy. Those marks are signs of circulation, detoxification, and deep tissue healing.
Cupping is an ancient therapy that has earned a well-deserved place in modern holistic chiropractic care. It works by using gentle suction to draw blood toward the surface of the skin. This increase in circulation helps move stagnant fluids, release tight muscles, and bring fresh oxygen and nutrients to the area. All of which support your body’s natural healing process.
At The Well in Kennebunk, we’ve been offering cupping for a while now, but recently it’s become one of the most-requested add-ons during chiropractic visits. And honestly, we love doing it!
That’s why we wanted to share a little more about what cupping does, why it’s such a great post-adjustment therapy, and how you can add it to your next visit.
What is cupping?
Cupping is a gentle, non-invasive technique that uses suction cups to lift the skin and underlying tissue. It’s been used for thousands of years to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and promote relaxation.
The main goal is to increase blood and lymph flow in areas where tension or stagnation has built up. By improving circulation, cupping helps your body remove metabolic waste products and deliver nutrients more efficiently. This all allows your muscles and fascia to recover faster.
Put simple, cupping promotes:
Less tension and soreness - tight muscles finally get a chance to release
Better flexibility and mobility - loosened fascia allows your body to move freely again
Faster recovery - the increase in blood flow supports your body’s natural repair process.
A calmer nervous system - many patients say they feel deeply relaxed, and even grounded, after a session.
How cupping works (beneath the surface):
Your body’s soft tissues, like skin, fascia, and muscle, are designed to glide smoothly over each other. But over time, with poor or prolonged posture, repetitive movement, injuries, or stress those layers to stick together. When this happens, your range of wemotion decreases, and you may feel tension or discomfort.
Cupping lifts and separates these layers, creating space for movement and flow. This decompression effect helps:
Free up tight fascia and improve elasticity
Break up adhesions that restrict movement
Reduce inflammation and stiffness
Restore the natural glide between your skin, fascia, and muscle
This “lifting” motion is what makes cupping such a unique complement to chiropractic care. It addresses the soft tissue side of your alignment.
How cupping is beneficial after an adjustment:
A chiropractic adjustment helps realign your joints and restore clear communication through your nervous system. It allows your body to function the way it’s designed to!
Adding cupping immediately after an adjustment takes that progress one step further. Once your joints are aligned, cupping helps the surrounding muscles and fascia adapt to the new position. It reinforces what your adjustment accomplished and helps your body hold those changes longer.
Here’s why we often recommend cupping post-adjustment:
Reduces soreness by clearing out lactic acid and metabolic waste
Supports lasting results by balancing muscle tone and releasing tension
Promotes relaxation so your nervous system stays in a healing state
Improves circulation to the tissues that were just adjusted
Restores movement between layers of fascia, skin, and muscle, preventing re-tightening
Most patients describe feeling lighter, looser, and more open after combining cupping with chiropractic care.
A favorite add-on (and how to try it):
Even though we haven’t advertised it much, cupping has quickly become one of the most requested services in the office, and for good reason! It’s gentle, effective, and the results speak for themselves.
You can now add cupping to your chiropractic adjustment when you book online. The session runs a little longer to allow time for both treatments, but it’s only a $20 add-on.
We love being able to offer it because it fits so well with how we approach care at The Well! By supporting your body’s natural ability to heal, move, and function optimally.
What to expect during a cupping session:
Cupping sessions are comfortable and completely tailored to your body. You’ll feel a pulling sensation where the cups are placed, but never pain. The circular marks that may appear afterward aren’t bruises, they’re a temporary sign of improved circulation and lymph movement. They usually fade within a few days.
Every cupping treatment is different, just like every adjustment. We’ll talk through what areas need the most support and how it fits into your wellness goals.
One more thing…
Cupping isn’t just about easing muscle tension, it’s about helping your body integrate and maintain the results of your chiropractic adjustment. By separating the layers of fascia, skin, and muscle, cupping allows your tissues to move more freely, promotes circulation, and supports your body’s natural rhythm of healing.
If you’ve been curious about cupping, this is your sign to try it!
You can book your “Chiropractic Adjustment with Cupping: session online or mention it at your next appointment!
