Ep 600 – Lymphedema and Cupping: "I Have a Client Who . . ." Pathology Conversations with Ruth Werner

A client with a complicated health history, including bilateral mastectomies and lymph node removal, wants to receive cupping. Her massage therapist declines, citing education that suggests it may not be a good idea. The client gets cupping elsewhere and then asks again.

In this episode of I Have a Client Who . . ., Ruth talks about lymphedema, cupping, and maintaining professional boundaries when a client wants something the massage therapist believes is not in their best interest.

What do you do when your client says yes, but you say no, no, no?

Resources:

Aboushanab, T.S. and AlSanad, S. (2018) "Cupping Therapy: An Overview from a Modern Medicine Perspective," Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies, 11(3), pp. 83–87. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jams.2018.02.001.

Cupping (no date) NCCIH. Available at: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/cupping (Accessed: October 5, 2026).

Lymphedema and Flare-Ups: How To Reduce Your Risk (no date). Available at: https://www.breastcancer.org/treatment-side-effects/lymphedema/reducing-risk (Accessed: October 5, 2026).

Sina, R.E. and Bokhari, A.A. (2023) "Cupping Therapy," StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK538253/ (Accessed: October 5, 2026).

Host Bio:

Ruth Werner is a former massage therapist, a writer, and an NCBTMB-approved continuing education provider. She wrote A Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology, now in its seventh edition, which is used in massage schools worldwide. Werner is also a long-time Massage & Bodywork columnist, most notably of the Pathology Perspectives column. Werner is also ABMP's partner on Pocket Pathology, a web-based app and quick reference program that puts key information for nearly 200 common pathologies at your fingertips. Werner's books are available at www.booksofdiscovery.com. And more information about her is available at www.ruthwerner.com.

Sponsors:

Anatomy Trains is a global leader in online anatomy education and also provides in-classroom certification programs for structural integration in the US, Canada, Australia, Europe, Japan, and China, as well as fresh-tissue cadaver dissection labs and weekend courses. The work of Anatomy Trains originated with founder Tom Myers, who mapped the human body into 13 myofascial meridians in his original book, currently in its fourth edition and translated into 12 languages. The principles of Anatomy Trains are used by osteopaths, physical t