Massage & Bodywork

JULY | AUGUST 2016

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C h e c k o u t A B M P 's l a t e s t n e w s a n d b l o g p o s t s . Av a i l a b l e a t w w w. a b m p . c o m . 65 Two corrections 1. If the ilium is being pulled up: Place a large cup on top of the quadratus lumborum- vertebral border. Apply several firm tugs upward toward the feet. Release the suction and move directly adjacent to the spot that was just mobilized. Apply the cup again and move it in a downward manner. Repeat until the entire upper border of the ilium and quadratus lumborum are treated. 2. If the ilium is being pulled down: Place a large cup on the gluteus medius-sacroiliac border. Apply several firm tugs down toward the head. Release the suction and move directly adjacent to the spot that was just mobilized. Apply the cup again and move it in an upward motion. Repeat until the entire lower border of the ilium and gluteus medius are treated. Note that no oil or lotion should be used for either technique. The intent is to have a firm grip on the tissues, rather than sliding. Now, reassess. If the correction is done with enough force, the hips will likely be level upon retesting. Cuppng therapy is not only a valuable addition to your therapeutic toolbox, it can also prolong the career of the massage therapist's hands by letting the cups do the hard work. This effective technique is gaining not only in popularity, but also in research-based affirmation. Notes 1. Robert Schleip, "Fascial Plasticity—A New Neurobiological Explanation, Parts 1 and 2," Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 7, no. 1, and 7, no. 2 (January 2003 and April 2003). 2. Ibid. 3. Donald L. Stillwell, "Regional Variations in the Innervation of Deep Fasciae and Aponeuroses," The Anatomical Record 127, no. 4 (April 1957): 635–53. 4. When standing, there is an equal pull from the upper and lower body. While seated, the legs are taken out of the gravitational field so the forces to sit up are concentrated on the torso rather than the lower body. It sometimes happens that one hip is higher than the other in both standing and sitting to the same side. While nothing is impossible, I have yet to see one hip being high while standing and the opposite hip elevated while seated. Gregory Gorey, LMT, graduated from the Academy of Somatic Healing Arts in 1995. He developed Soma Cupping therapy, and, in 2012, he started posting instructional massage videos on YouTube. As of June 1, 2016, his free online tutorials have been viewed more than 50 million times. For more information, visit www.somacupping.com. 1 2

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