Cupping therapy
Cupping Therapy in San Diego, Added to Your Massage
Modern silicone cups, a genuinely different sensation, and an honest account of what cupping does and doesn't do.
Cupping uses suction to lift and decompress soft tissue — the opposite of massage, which presses down into it. At Vitality it’s a +$20 add-on to any massage session, done with modern silicone cups rather than fire and glass, and we bring it to your home anywhere in San Diego County.
It isn’t a standalone appointment, and we think that’s the right way to use it: ten to fifteen minutes of cupping woven into a full massage does more than cups alone ever would. The rest of this page covers what the suction actually does, what the marks are, and who tends to get the most out of adding it.
The honest read
What cupping actually does
Here’s the part that’s real: suction pulls skin and superficial tissue upward, increases local blood flow where the cup sits, and produces a stretching, decompressive sensation that pressure-based massage can’t replicate. Clients with dense, stubborn tissue — upper backs and shoulders especially — often say the pull reaches something the hands-on work didn’t.
Here’s the part that isn’t: claims that cupping draws out toxins, corrects energy flow, or treats disease aren’t well-supported. The research on outcomes beyond short-term comfort and circulation is thin, and we won’t pretend otherwise. What we can say from the table is that many clients feel a distinct looseness in cupped areas afterward, and they keep asking for it — which is a fine reason to add something that costs $20 and carries little risk.
Because your muscles are already warm and lotioned mid-massage, silicone cups can also glide — a moving suction stroke that pairs especially well with deep tissue work on the back and with sports massage on heavily trained legs and shoulders. For a longer walk through the mechanism and the evidence, read our full guide to cupping.
Silicone cups, not fire
The cupping you’ve seen on swimmers’ backs is often traditional fire cupping. We use silicone instead — here’s the practical difference:
| Silicone (what we use) | Traditional fire cupping | |
|---|---|---|
| Suction | Squeeze-applied, adjustable in real time | Set by flame-heated air, fixed once placed |
| Movement | Glides over lotioned skin for moving strokes | Usually stationary |
| Heat & flame | None | Open flame near the skin |
| In your home | Nothing extra to set up | Not something we’d bring into a living room |
About the circles
The marks, plainly
What they are
Suction bruising. The vacuum draws blood toward the skin's surface, and the circles are simply that — not toxins surfacing, not a diagnostic map.
How they feel
They don't. The marks are painless to form, painless to touch, and painless as they fade. Darker circles mean stronger suction was used, nothing more.
How long they last
A few days to about a week, lightening steadily. If you'd rather not have visible circles before a beach day or an event, skip cupping for that session.
Pricing
A $20 add-on to any session
Cupping isn’t booked on its own — you choose a massage session, then add cupping for a flat +$20 at any length:
- 60 minutes + cupping$119 + $20
- 90 minutes + cupping — room for cups without shortening the massage$159 + $20
- 120 minutes + cupping$199 + $20
CBD lotion is a separate +$10 add-on. Travel: free in Point Loma & Ocean Beach, $20 elsewhere in the city of San Diego, $40 county-wide. Everything is laid out on the pricing page.
Questions
Cupping FAQ
Ready to book?
We bring the table, linens, and calm — you keep the couch afterward.