4. Strange Sensation
One look at the back of someone who’s just undergone a cupping session is enough to put anyone off of the therapy. Cupping leaves round marks on your back that are unsightly and look painful. However, the actual treatment doesn’t create much discomfort. The best way to describe the feeling of cupping is as a pulling sensation at the surface of the skin.
The therapy doesn’t feel painful at all, and most patients report a pleasant, if not strange, sensation as the practitioner draws air out of the cup and pulls the skin inside. Moving cupping feels a lot like a typical sports massage as the practitioner moves the cups around you back. Some patients do report feelings of discomfort similar to what they would expect from attaching a vacuum cleaner to their skin.
Your results depend significantly on the skill of the practitioner. Experienced therapists know exactly how much air to pull out of the cup to produce optimal results without creating a pain response.