Cupping therapy can be highly beneficial for pre- and post-surgical recovery in hip replacements, particularly by promoting lymphatic drainage, releasing fascial adhesions, and reducing muscle tension. This technique helps prepare tissues for surgery, reduces post-surgical edema and bruising, and promotes faster healing by moving excess fluid away from the affected area. Using a “no-mark” cupping approach ensures minimal tissue damage and maximizes recovery efficiency. Both clinical experiences and personal accounts demonstrate that cupping before and after surgery can significantly enhance recovery outcomes and minimize downtime.
Key Takeaways
- Cupping effectively moves lymphatic and bodily fluids, reducing swelling and promoting healing around surgical sites. This can prepare tissues for surgery and help manage post-surgical bruising and edema.
- The tissue-lifting effect of cupping releases fascial adhesions and muscle tension, enhancing skin elasticity and tissue health, both of which are critical for surgery and recovery.
- Gentle cupping techniques that avoid leaving marks are crucial to prevent excess fluid buildup and tissue damage, which could hinder healing.
- Cupping before surgery conditions the tissue, while post-surgical cupping aids in faster recovery by improving circulation and resolving bruising. Patients often experience reduced pain and shorter recovery times.
- Both practitioners and patients have reported excellent outcomes with cupping, including quicker recovery times, reduced complications, and improved overall surgical recovery experiences.
Pre- and Post-Surgical Cupping for Hip Replacement Recovery
A great advantage with cupping is the lift of tissue, which releases fascial adhesions and via the fascia connections, muscle tension is released—all of which is helpful for hip replacement recovery
When most people think of cupping, we imagine the many-colored circles on the skin, scattered around the body. However, cupping has many techniques and applications that leave little to no marks, assisting the lymphatic system, all the while releasing bound fascia and muscle tissue.
Cupping marks are not all bad. Like anything else, when overdone or if cup is left stationary over an injury or surgical site too long, can be damaged to the tissue or the healing process can be hindered. Cupping marks are a form of congestion of body fluids in a small area of the body tissue.
Any technique of cupping draws a massive amount of fluid, toward the cup, to one area of the body. The collection of fluid that remains in the skin, as well as in the tissue below, results in a visible mark. This result causes the body to overwork in effort to clear the additional body fluid around the mark, especially if it is an injured area. That extra fluid can hinder the healing process; and in extreme cases, exacerbate the natural edema the body produces during injury or trauma.
Cupping Moves Fluid
Manual lymphatic drainage primarily moves lymphatic fluid through the lymphatic capillaries in the superficial tissue to assist the body in its natural drainage process. These capillaries create a web throughout the tissues of the body. In addition to moving fluid within the lymphatic capillaries, cupping also assists with movement of fluid in the lymph trunks within deeper levels.
This transition of fluid is beneficial before and after surgery. In following lymphatic drainage pathways with cupping, one can assist the body in moving a significant amount of fluid. One great thing about utilization of the cupping modality to clear lymph fluid from the hip, is it allows for the additional benefit of subsequent movement of fluid upward from the thigh and lower leg.
Over the years, I have worked with several clients referred by orthopedic surgeons with specific requests to address pre and post-surgical sites via therapeutic massage with cupping, to aid in a smooth surgery and a shortened recovery duration. In working with these clients, my initial focus is movement of the lymph away from the joint requiring surgery. I then transition focus to fascia and muscle tension release. Attention to the fascia and muscle tension is very important due to the stretching of the skin during retraction of the tissue. Although lymphatic drainage and fascia/muscle release occur simultaneously, cupping techniques vary based on the intended outcome. Many of the clients who presented with hip and knee replacements, as well as their referring physicians, have expressed pleasure and satisfaction with the recovery outcomes.
Cupping for Hip Replacement Recovery
Last year, I underwent two total hip replacements. One procedure was in July and the other was in October. With both procedures to be completed in proximity of each other, I was determined to help myself recover with as little downtime as possible.
My left hip replacement was scheduled for late July 2022. Two weeks prior to the surgery date, I began cupping on my hip to prepare the tissue with the best possible condition for surgery. Since both of my hips were bone on bone, I suffered from very limited range of motion, a lot of pain, and some edema. Approximately every three days, I focused on clearing excessive lymphatic buildup around my hip.
As mentioned earlier, a great advantage of cupping is the lift of tissue, which releases fascial adhesions; and via the fascia connections, muscle tension is released. Cupping also helps promote the elasticity of the skin, which is necessary due to the retraction of tissue that occurs during surgery. This cupping process can reduce soreness and bruising after surgery. I applied, machine-controlled, minimal pressure with the cup, never leaving any marks on my hip or leg during this surgical prep work. I did not want to risk inadvertent edema before surgery, due to cupping congestion.
Since cupping moves an extraordinary amount of fluid in the body, in clearing the inguinal lymph node and moving excess lymph over the iliac crest, subsequently releasing muscle tension gave me a surprising amount of pain relief. After clearing the inguinal lymph nodes, glutes, and the rest of the hip, I transitioned to adductors, quad, and hamstrings.
I also performed some light fascia work on the IT band. All the work was completed within 10 to 15 minutes of each session. Of course, since my hip deterioration was bone-on-bone, my range of motion did not really improve. However, the pain decreased. Cupping about every three days for two weeks prior to surgery, the tissue around my hip felt great. The muscles were relaxed. There was very little edema evident. Having completed this prep work, I was ready for surgery.
Within 30 minutes of waking up, to my nurse’s horror, I was doing squats at the bedside and walking up and down the hall just outside of my room shortly thereafter. Completely amazed that I could lift my leg without assistance, I wondered if all that cupping helped my body during surgery.
The surgeon utilized a modified posterior approach for both my hip replacements: no muscles cut, bursa sacs, and capsules around the hip sockets were left intact. After my return home, I was cupping about every 3-4 days to clear the inguinal lymph nodes; being careful not to work inferiorly to my surgical site,and clearing the glutes and iliac crest superior to the surgical site.
After the second post-surgical cupping treatment, I noticed bruising had not settled down the leg and only mild discoloration around the bandage. The bruising seemed to be moving above the bandage and over the iliac crest. I had seen some of this bruising pattern as I worked on my postsurgical clients, but not to this extent since I had never seen a client every three days following their surgery.
My waterproof bandage was removed 10 days after surgery. By day 11, there was no visible bruising, scar was intact, my left hip had a full range of motion, and there was no perceived weakness. I was amazed at such a rapid recovery. However, I had another hip replacement forthcoming in about two months. I wondered if this recovery was a fluke… or could I produce the same results.
My Second Hip Replacement
Late October 2022, I had my second hip replacement. As before, I began my prep work two weeks before surgery. Every three days I cupped to achieve fascia/muscle release by lymphatically draining around the hip to be replaced. Hoping this surgery and recovery go as well as my first hip replacement. Upon waking from surgery, again, as if it were déjà vu, I was able to do squats, walk up and down the hall without incidence or difficulty, take a shower in the hospital, and walk out within a couple of hours after surgery completion.
Upon my return home, I continued cupping after surgery every three to four days for lymphatic drainage. The lymphatic drainage moved the bruising up and over the iliac crest. Seven days following my right total hip replacement surgery, I returned to work on a modified schedule. No visible bruising on 11 days after surgery and return to full-time work by day 14.
Amazingly, I was only down a total of 14 days for two separate hip replacements! No visible edema and resolution of all bruising within 11 days from surgery.
Cupping Before and After Surgery
I have worked with several clients before and after surgery related to various conditions. Doctors and physical therapists with whom I have worked have always told me their patients with the best recovery, are the patients who have received cupping treatment before and after surgery.
The “no mark” fascia and lymph work before and after surgery in my personal experience and with my clients, appears to yield fewer surgeries with complications and quicker recovery duration than those surgeries without the cupping treatment.
This approach allows the body to focus on healing rather than management of the excess lymph buildup that comes from surgery. Gentle, no mark cupping approach focused on lymph movement, is a game changer for total hip replacement surgery and recovery.
About the Author
Garrett Brown, CMCE, LMBT (13665), has been a massage therapist for 10 years, teaching continuing education for ACE MediCupping for seven years. As a classically trained welder and machinist with an engineering background, he brings a unique perspective to the massage field. Finding massage by accident via a gift card from a friend, Garrett found his calling, massage therapy.
