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Cupping glossary: the terms explained

Here we explain the terms you meet when reading about cupping: methods, cups, the body's tissues and words from the tradition. Short definitions, with links to further reading in our guides.

Cupping
A method where a cup creates negative pressure against the skin so that skin and connective tissue are lifted. Used for circulation, tension, recovery and skin structure.
Silicone cup
A cup in soft silicone where the vacuum is created by squeezing the cup against the skin. The suction is controlled by hand and can be changed during the session. Curam's cups are 100 % BPA-free premium silicone.
Vacuum cup
Collective name for all cups that create negative pressure: silicone, glass with pump, plastic with gun and electric.
Static cupping
The cup is attached and left in place for a few minutes. Used on trigger points, neck, shoulders and back. Often leaves round marks.
Dynamic cupping
The cup is glided over oiled skin in slow strokes. Used on larger areas such as thighs, back and calves, and for lymphatic massage. Normally leaves only redness.
Face cupping
Cupping of the face with small cups and very light suction, always in motion. For glow, puffiness and a tense jaw. Also called facial cupping.
Dry cupping
Cupping where the skin is not broken. All cupping with silicone cups is dry cupping.
Wet cupping
Traditional method where the skin is lightly scratched before cupping so that a small amount of blood is drawn out. Not performed with Curam's cups and not self-care. Arabic: hijama.
Fire cupping
Traditional method where the air in a glass cup is heated with a flame before the cup is placed on the skin, so that a vacuum forms as the air cools.
Cupping massage
Massage with cups, usually dynamic cupping with oil. Used both by practitioners and at home.
Cupping marks
Round, red to purple marks after static cupping. They appear when the vacuum draws blood and fluid into the superficial layers of the skin. Not bruises in the usual sense; they fade in two to ten days.
Contraindication
A condition where a method should not be used, for example blood clot, infection or pregnancy (for body cupping).
Fascia
The continuous network of connective tissue that wraps muscles, vessels, nerves and organs. Cupping lifts and mobilises the fascia.
Connective tissue
Tissue that supports and binds together the body's other tissues. Fascia is the part of connective tissue that forms sheaths and networks.
Fascia massage / connective tissue massage
Massage aimed at the fascia, with slow strokes that create glide between tissue layers. Cupping is fascia massage with lift instead of pressure.
Trigger point
A tender, tight point in a muscle that can cause pain elsewhere. Often treated with static cupping.
Lymphatic system
The body's drainage system that transports excess fluid, waste products and immune cells. It has no pump of its own and depends on movement and pressure changes.
Lymphatic massage / lymphatic drainage
Very light massage in the direction of the lymph nodes to support lymphatic flow. Done with the hands or with cups with light suction. See Lymphatic drainage – manual, mechanical and at home and What is lymphatic massage?
Lymph node station
A cluster of lymph nodes where lymph fluid is filtered: collarbones, armpits, groin, back of the knee, in front of the ears. Dynamic cupping for lymphatic flow is drawn towards the nearest station.
Oedema
Swelling caused by fluid accumulating in the tissue, for example in legs and feet.
Circulation
The movement of blood through the body. Cupping increases blood flow locally, visible as redness and felt as warmth.
Suction / vacuum
The negative pressure in the cup. With silicone cups it is controlled by how hard the cup is squeezed.
Dynamic Cup
Curam's large dynamic cup (7 × 7 cm) for thighs, glutes, back and calves. Can also be used statically.
Dynamic Mini Cup
Curam's smaller dynamic cup (7 × 5 cm) for arms, neck, knees and ankles.
Static Cups
Curam's static cups (4 × 7.5 cm) that stay on neck, shoulders and trigger points.
Face Cup
Curam's face cup (4 × 7 cm) for cheeks, jaw, forehead and neck.
Face Cup Mini
Curam's smallest cup (5 × 1.5 cm) for the area around eyes, lips and nose.
Curam Start
The guided four-week programme included in all Curam kits.
Cupping programme
Ready-made routines that show which area, which cup, how long and how often, for a given purpose such as running, headache or lymphatic flow.
Recovery
The body's restoration after load. Cupping is used before training for mobility and after for circulation and less stiffness.
Cellulite
Uneven skin surface, mainly on thighs and glutes, caused by the interplay of fat cells, connective-tissue strands, fluid and circulation. Dynamic cupping can make the skin smoother.
Gua sha
Facial massage with a smooth stone drawn over the skin. Presses instead of lifting, unlike face cupping.
Non-comedogenic
Describes oils and products that do not clog pores. Important for oil used on the face.
TCM (traditional Chinese medicine)
Medical tradition in which cupping has a long history, alongside acupuncture. The interpretation of cupping mark colours comes from here.
Qi
Concept in TCM for the body's life energy. Within TCM cupping is said to improve the flow of qi and blood. Not a scientific concept.
Hijama
Arabic name for wet cupping.
Pressotherapy
Compression boots or sleeves with air chambers inflated in sequence from the bottom up. Used for lymphoedema and in sports recovery; only reaches legs or arms. Comparison: Lymphatic massage machine or cups?
Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD)
The medical lymphatic massage technique lymphoedema therapists are trained in: very light, rhythmic pressure in the direction of lymph flow, starting at the nodes closest to the heart. See What is lymphatic massage?
Lymphoedema
Chronic swelling that occurs when lymph vessels or nodes are damaged or removed, often after cancer surgery. Treated in healthcare with compression, MLD and movement; not a condition for self-care with cups without a therapist's assessment.
Lipoedema
Symmetrical, tender fat accumulation on legs and arms that does not respond to dieting, often confused with lymphoedema and overweight. Investigated through healthcare.
Percussion massage (massage gun)
Massage with rapid strikes from a motorised attachment. Good for large, tight muscles, unsuitable for lymph, neck and abdomen. Comparison: Cupping or massage gun?
Dry brushing
Brushing dry skin with a natural-bristle brush towards the heart, mainly exfoliation and superficial circulation. See Dry brushing or cupping?
Foam rolling
Self-massage where body weight presses the muscle against a hard roller. Temporarily increases mobility; the opposite of cupping's lift. See Foam roller or cupping?
Curam Recovery®
Curam's method for active recovery: static and dynamic cupping combined with movement, breath and body awareness, in classes, training and home programmes. See The Curam Recovery® method.
Effect size (SMD, d)
A standardised measure of how big a difference a treatment makes in a study: about 0.2 small, 0.5 moderate, 0.8 large. Used in Cupping in numbers.
Heel spur
A calcium deposit at the plantar fascia attachment on the heel bone. It shows on X-ray but is rarely the cause of the pain, which is plantar fasciitis, treated with offloading, calf strength and stretching. See Heel spur and plantar fasciitis.
Lumbago
Sudden, locking pain in the lower back from muscle spasm and irritated joints, usually harmless and over within days to weeks. Cup the back muscles only once the worst has passed, never on the spine. See Lumbago.
Sciatica
Pain radiating from the lower back or buttock down the leg because the sciatic nerve or a nerve root is irritated, usually by a disc herniation. Cupping is used only on the surrounding muscles, never along the nerve or where it is numb. See Sciatica.
Piriformis syndrome
"False sciatica": the deep gluteal muscle piriformis is so tight that it presses on the sciatic nerve. One of the areas where static cupping works best. See Piriformis syndrome.
Wry neck (acute torticollis)
A sudden, severe muscle spasm that locks the neck to one side, usually over in three to seven days. Heat and movement on the first day, then light cupping of the trapezius. See Wry neck.
Tennis elbow and golfer's elbow (epicondylalgia)
Overload of the forearm muscles' tendon attachment on the outside (tennis) or inside (golfer's) of the elbow. Heals with eccentric training; cup the muscle belly, not the attachment. See Tennis elbow, golfer's elbow and mouse arm.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
The median nerve is compressed in the carpal tunnel of the wrist: numbness in the thumb, index and middle finger, worst at night. A night splint is the main treatment; never cup over the inside of the wrist. See Carpal tunnel syndrome.
Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)
An inflamed, contracted joint capsule in the shoulder that causes pain and then marked stiffness in three phases over one to three years. Cupping reaches only the surrounding muscles. See Frozen shoulder and shoulder pain.
Impingement (shoulder)
The most common shoulder pain: tendons and bursa are pinched when the arm is lifted out and up. Treated with strength for the rotator cuff and shoulder blade. See Frozen shoulder and shoulder pain.
Shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome)
Overload of the inside of the shin from running. The calf is cupped, not the bone edge; a stress fracture must be ruled out. See Shin splints.
Achilles tendinopathy
An overloaded Achilles tendon that becomes stiff and tender; heals with heavy, slow heel raises over twelve weeks. Cup the calf, never the tendon. See Achilles tendinopathy.
Trochanteritis (gluteal tendinopathy)
Irritated tendon attachments and bursa at the large bump of the thigh bone on the outside of the hip; tender to lie on. Cupping of the buttock and outer thigh, not on the bump. See Hip pain.
Muscle soreness (DOMS)
Muscle soreness that peaks one to three days after unfamiliar training, caused by small fibre damage and repair, not lactic acid. Light cupping the day after can reduce perceived soreness. See Muscle soreness.
Eccentric training
Training where the muscle brakes under load (the lowering phase). The best documented treatment for Achilles and elbow problems. See Achilles tendinopathy.
Osteoarthritis
A joint disease where cartilage is broken down faster than it is built up; most common in the knee and hip. Adapted exercise is the best treatment; cupping can relieve the muscles around the joint but does not affect the cartilage. See Knee osteoarthritis.
Fibromyalgia
Long-term widespread pain with fatigue and poor sleep, caused by an oversensitive pain system. For cupping, very light suction on small areas applies. See Fibromyalgia and widespread pain.
Bruxism (teeth grinding)
Grinding or clenching the teeth, usually in sleep, causing sore jaws and headaches. A night guard protects the teeth; light cupping of the chewing muscles relieves. See Teeth grinding and tight jaw.
Pelvic girdle pain (in pregnancy)
Pain in the pelvic joints when hormones make the ligaments more mobile. Treated with offloading, a pelvic belt and adapted exercise; no cupping on the lower back or pelvis during pregnancy. See Pelvic girdle pain.
Coccydynia (tailbone pain)
Pain in the tailbone when sitting, often after a fall or childbirth. Seat cushion and offloading; cupping never on the tailbone, only the gluteal muscles. See Tailbone pain.
Proprioception
The body's sense of joint position. It deteriorates after a sprain and is retrained with balance exercises, which is what prevents the next sprain. See Sprained ankle.
Cauda equina syndrome
Serious compression of the nerve roots at the bottom of the spine: numbness in the saddle area, difficulty passing urine or controlling the bowels, increasing weakness in the legs. Always an emergency, never self-care. See Sciatica.
Rhabdomyolysis
A rare but serious muscle breakdown after extreme exertion: severe muscle pain, swelling and dark urine. Needs hospital care. See Muscle soreness.

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Last updated 16 October 2026.