What does cupping therapy do?

Cups lift the skin and muscle by suction. Most people use it for a stiff back, neck or shoulders and find it relaxing. Research suggests it may help with some pain, but the studies are small and mostly of low quality.

How long do cupping marks last?

Usually a few days to a couple of weeks. They are round red or purple circles from small blood vessels breaking under the skin, and they are not usually painful.

How much does cupping cost in Mindo?

Reana Rae charges $30 for 30 minutes and $50 for 60 minutes at Portal de Paz. You pay her directly.

For most healthy adults the side effects are the marks, bruising and soreness. Tell the practitioner first if you are pregnant, take blood thinners, have a bleeding disorder or have a skin problem where the cups would go.

Is cupping the same as massage?

No, but they are often combined. Massage presses into the muscle; cupping pulls it outward. Cups can also be slid over oiled skin, which is sometimes called massage cupping.

Cupping Therapy in Mindo, Ecuador: What It Does, What It Costs

What is cupping therapy?

The practitioner places cups on your skin, usually on the back, shoulders or legs, and takes the air out of them with heat or a small pump. The vacuum lifts the skin into the cup. The cups either stay in one place for a few minutes or are slid slowly over oiled skin, which is why cupping and massage often come together.

Most cupping is dry: suction only. Wet cupping adds small cuts to draw blood and is a different procedure. Ask Reana which she does before you book. The practice turns up in Chinese medicine, in the Middle East, where it is called hijama, and in old European medicine. Most people outside those traditions first saw it on Michael Phelps's shoulders at the 2016 Olympics.

What does cupping do, and does it work?

People mostly book it for a stiff back, neck or shoulders. It feels like the opposite of a massage: instead of pressing in, the cups pull outward, a deep tugging that most people find odd for a minute and then relaxing.

The research is thin. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says some studies suggest cupping may help with pain, including neck and back pain, but most of them are small and of low quality. There is no good evidence for claims about detoxing or treating illness. Book it as bodywork for tired, tight muscles and judge it by how you feel afterward.

Why it leaves marks

The suction breaks tiny blood vessels just under the skin, so each cup leaves a round red or purple circle. They are not usually painful, and they fade over a few days to a couple of weeks. If you are heading to the river at Mindo in a swimsuit the next day, expect questions.

Cupping with Reana

Reana Rae lives in Mindo and has worked in beauty and wellness for more than ten years. She offers cupping and reflexology massage, in sessions of 30 minutes for $30 or 60 minutes for $50, in English or Spanish. You arrange the session and pay with her directly; Portal de Paz is the room, not the booking desk.

Reana's profile Reflexology Massage in Mindo

Who should check first

How to book cupping in Mindo

Message Reana on WhatsApp from this page or her profile. Say whether you want 30 or 60 minutes and which day you are in town; if you are only in Mindo for a night or two, write early.

Cupping therapy