Click here to download a PDF file with a description of this technique
Massage cups can be used as extra hands to pin an area while stretching. In this video, I show a method of using multiple cups to pin rotator cuff muscles while moving the arm.
If you number the cups 1 to 4 from smallest to largest, here’s how I would place the cups:
#1 – over Supraspinatus – while the arm is abducted
#2 – on the lateral border of the scapula over the attachment for Teres minor – while the arm is externally rotated
#3 – over Pectoralis major – while the arm is internally rotated and in horizontal adduction
#4 – over Infraspinatus – while the arm is externally rotated
You can also try different cup placements or use additional cups, including putting a small cup over the Deltoid attachment on the humerus.
After the cups are placed, have your client take their arm through various ranges of motion, including abduction, internal rotation, and external rotation. Your client may feel some pulling of the pinned and stretched muscles.
Dr. Mally’s massage cupping DVD and massage cups are available at:
https://massagelibrary.com/product-category/massage-cupping/
Cautions:
Do not leave cups on for more than 3 – 5 minutes as it can leave marks on the skin.
A cup placed directly over the coracoid process of the scapula may be unnecessarily painful.
