An ancient technique has found its place in the modern world of healing. In recent years countless high profile athletes and celebrities have been sporting distinctive circular "cupping" welts on their bodies -- the back and shoulder area being most common. Dating back thousands of years, cupping is a form of alternative medicine. The cups create suction and help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, deep relaxation and can even provide relief for sciatica and sinus congestion. Massage Cupping body therapy is a modern and modified version of cupping therapy that creates suction and negative pressure through the use of both stationary and moving cups. These cups are available at pharmacies and do not use heat like old-fashioned glass cupping -- making them entirely safe and easy for home use. Shannon Gilmartin is a Certified Massage Cupping and MediCupping Educator who teaches this wonderfully diverse therapy and has witnessed the positive outcomes for patients. This book shares all her extraordinary professional and hands-on experience, so that everyone can experience the positive benefits of cupping. Nearly 200 step-by-step photos and full color pages make it easy to follow this expert instruction. AUTHOR: Shannon Gilmartin, CMT, is a licensed and nationally certified massage therapist, certified vacutherapies practitioner and educator. She has 15 plus years experience in therapeutic bodywork including aromatherapy, body-mind integration, craniosacral, deep tissue, medical massage, myofascial, neuromuscular, orthopedic massage, soft tissue injury rehabilitation, sports massage, Thai massage and eastern theory, vacutherapies (massage cupping and medicupping) and visceral manipulation. full colour throughout, 200 step-by-step photographs