Cupping guides
Numbness and tingling in the hands: which fingers go numb reveals the cause (carpal tunnel, ulnar nerve, neck, TOS), when it's urgent, exercises that help and cupping of the forearm and neck
Numbness and tingling in the hands almost always come from a nerve being compressed somewhere between the neck and the hand, and which fingers are affected tells you where: thumb, index and middle finger point to the carpal tunnel in the wrist, little and ring finger to the ulnar nerve at the elbow, the whole hand or arm with neck pain to the nerve roots in the neck, and both hands together with the feet to something general (diabetes, B12 deficiency, thyroid). Here is how to read the pattern, why it is worst at night, when to seek care quickly, nerve gliding exercises and ergonomics that help, and how cupping of the forearm, chest muscle and neck is used to give the nerve more room.
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Vertebral compression fracture: symptoms, why it happens (osteoporosis), how it heals, exercises that help and what applies to massage and cupping
A vertebral compression fracture is a fracture where a vertebra is squashed, usually because of osteoporosis and sometimes after a light lift or fall. It heals in six to twelve weeks and is treated with pain relief, early movement and training of the back extensors; it is also a warning sign that the skeleton needs investigating. Here are the symptoms, the warning signs, the healing, the exercises, what to avoid and what applies to massage and cupping.
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Whiplash: symptoms, how it heals, self-care and exercises with evidence, and when cupping of the neck can be used
Whiplash is a sprain of the neck's muscles and ligaments after a rapid back-and-forth movement of the head, usually in a rear-end collision. Most people recover within weeks to a few months, and early, gentle movement heals better than rest and a collar. Here are the symptoms, the warning signs, the healing week by week, exercises with evidence, why some get long-term problems, and when cupping of the neck muscles can be used.
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Flat feet and arch pain: when flat feet are a problem, the exercises that build up the arch, shoes and insoles, and cupping of the foot
Flat feet, a low or collapsed arch, are normal in small children and harmless in many adults, but cause problems when the foot rolls inwards and loads the Achilles tendon, arch, knees and hips at an angle. Here is when it is a problem, the warning signs (flat feet that came on quickly on one side), the exercises that build up the foot muscles, shoes and insoles, and cupping of the sole and calf.
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Stiff body: why you get stiff, when it should be investigated, and stretching and mobility training that actually help
Stiffness in the body is usually due to too little varied movement, not muscles that are too short: the tissue adapts to the position it spends most time in. Here are the causes, the warning signs (morning stiffness over an hour, stiffness with swelling or fever), the difference between stretching and mobility training, a daily 10-minute whole-body programme and how cupping is used to soften.
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Shoulder impingement: why lifting the arm hurts, the exercises that help and cupping around the shoulder
Shoulder impingement means the rotator cuff tendons and bursa are pinched under the shoulder blade's bony arch when the arm is lifted, giving pain between 60 and 120 degrees of lift, an ache on the outside of the upper arm and pain lying on your side. Here is why it happens, the warning signs, the exercises with the best evidence (rotator cuff, shoulder blade, posture), what to avoid and how to cup the muscles around the shoulder.
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Hallux valgus (bunions): why they appear, what helps the pain, exercises, shoes and cupping of the foot
Hallux valgus is a crooked big toe with a bump at the toe joint on the inside of the foot, usually hereditary and worsened by tight shoes. The deformity cannot be exercised away, but the pain, stiffness and progression can be influenced. Here are the causes, what helps (shoes, insoles, toe spacers, foot exercises), when surgery is relevant and how to cup and massage the foot.
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Trochanteric bursitis: pain on the outside of the hip, why lying on your side hurts, the exercises that help and cupping of the hip and thigh
Trochanteric bursitis is pain on the outside of the hip, over the bony bump you feel when lying on your side. Usually it is not the bursa but the gluteal tendon attachments that are overloaded. Here is why it hurts, the warning signs, the exercises with the best evidence, what to avoid (crossing your legs, side-lying without a pillow) and how to cup the outside of the hip and thigh.
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Forward head posture and better posture: why the head ends up in front of the body, exercises that help and cupping of the neck and upper back
Forward head posture is a head held in front of the body with rounded shoulders and a bent upper back, almost always from screens, phones and sitting. Every centimetre forward increases the load on the neck, giving tension pain, headaches and stiff shoulders. Here is the self-test, six exercises that actually correct the posture, the ergonomics that stop it coming back, and how cupping of the neck and upper back softens what has tightened.
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