Myofascial decompression to improve circulation and release tension.
Dr. Daniel Turner, DC · Updated June 2026
Cupping therapy is a treatment that uses suction cups on the skin to create myofascial decompression, helping improve circulation and release muscle tension. At DT Chiropractic, our providers may use cupping as part of a conservative, evidence-based care plan to ease tightness and support recovery. It is available at our Canton, Cartersville, and Rome offices in North Georgia.
Cupping therapy, sometimes called myofascial decompression, uses gentle suction to lift and decompress the soft tissue and fascia. Where most hands-on work presses down, cupping pulls up, helping separate tissue layers, draw fresh blood flow to the area, and release the tension that contributes to pain and stiffness.
We use cupping as part of a treatment plan, often alongside adjustments and Active Release Technique. It is a favorite for tight, stubborn backs and shoulders and for athletes recovering after hard training. The cups may be left in place or moved along the muscle to work through a larger area.
The cups create a comfortable pulling sensation rather than a pinch. Sessions are short, and the temporary circular marks some people notice are simply increased blood flow to the area, they are painless and fade within a few days.
This treatment is often part of our care for:
Available at all three North Georgia offices, Canton, Cartersville, and Rome, with same- or next-day appointments.
It can leave temporary circular marks where the suction draws blood flow to the surface. They are painless, are not bruises in the usual sense, and typically fade within a few days.
Cupping helps relieve muscle and fascial tightness, improve circulation, and speed recovery, especially in the back, shoulders, and other large muscle groups, and for athletes between sessions.
No, most people find it relaxing. You will feel a pulling or tightening sensation under the cup rather than pain. Let us know your comfort level and we will adjust the suction.
Cupping uses suction cups on the skin to lift tissue rather than compress it, the opposite direction from massage. The negative pressure increases local blood flow, decompresses the fascia under the cup, and often produces a distinctive loosening sensation athletes describe after hard training blocks. The circular marks it can leave are not bruises from injury; they are a harmless response to suction and fade over days.
Cupping has a genuinely mixed research base, and we will not pretend otherwise. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis found cupping associated with short-term reductions in low back pain, while reviewers consistently note that many trials are small and hard to blind, so the effect size is uncertain. The NIH describes the evidence similarly: promising for short-term pain relief, not established beyond that. Our position: cupping is a reasonable, low-risk adjunct that many patients, especially athletes, find genuinely relieving, and it always rides alongside the treatments with stronger evidence rather than replacing them.
Cups are placed for five to ten minutes over the treated region, sometimes stationary and sometimes glided over oiled skin. The sensation is firm pulling, not pain. Expect possible circular marks, plan around events like weddings and photos, and tell us if you are on blood thinners or have skin conditions, which change whether and where we cup.
This page is for general education and is not a substitute for an individual evaluation. External links are provided for reference and do not imply endorsement.
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