Short answer:  not really. 

Long answer:  have you ever stuck a vacuum tube onto your arm?  That's about as painful as it will get.  

There's some initial discomfort and pulling sensation (that can be intense) when they first go on.  After about 5 minutes, most people are able to relax into it and will forget the cups are even there.  

Afterward, the bruise-looking marks will NOT hurt.  That's because they're NOT bruises. :) They're dead blood cells, and they don't always show up after cupping.  But rest assured, if you have them, they will not feel like a bruise AT ALL.  

The skin discoloration from cupping is the dead blood cells leaving your muscle tissue. They don't usually hurt, but they'll fade like a bruise after about one week if you have healthy circulation.  

I like to think of the marks as a roadmap of where the issues are under your skin.  For example, where you have the most stagnant blood will have darker (dark purple or in some cases black) marks.  Less stagnation will show light purple marks.  

Occasionally the marks show slight blistering or a whitish color.  These are signs of damp energy leaving your body.  

After cupping, there are a couple things to remember.  

1. You are detoxing.  The cups pull dead blood cells, excess fluid, and other unsavories out of your muscles.  Because of that, drink plenty of water.  Some people (~ 10%) feel nauseous or dizzy after cupping.  This seems to happen more after someone's first cupping session or after taking a long break from cupping.  It's just a detox reaction.  Drink water, eat soup, and rest.  

2. Your pores are slightly open.  For about 3-4 hours after cupping, your skin is more open than usual due to the suction.  To avoid damp energy from invading, abstain from bathing or swimming for that 3-4 hour time period after cupping.  

The cups typically go on the muscles around your shoulders and back, and in cases of tight quads or hamstrings, we may cup the legs too. Cupping is done on the muscles that are tight and sore - where you have “knots.” 

For stiff shoulders (frozen shoulder) or swelling on the knees with knee pain, we use a few cups there to improve circulation and reduce fluid retention.  

We also use a cup on the navel (belly button) in some cases to remove cold energy from the abdomen.  This is useful for people with digestive problems, fertility issues, or menstrual irregularities or pain.  I've even used abdominal cupping to promote weight loss. 

A cupping session takes about 15 – 45 minutes.  

After applying a thin layer of coconut or almond oil to your skin, the cup is applied and will slide around relatively easily.  We move the cups every 10-15 minutes so all the areas that need cupping are reached. 

We use fire cups in our office.  This is different from the silicone suction cups that some people use.  Fire cupping is more traditional and (IMHO) works better. 

Fire removes the oxygen from the cup so it sticks to your body. 

The fire doesn't touch you!  

You should wait at least a week after the first cupping session to have another.  This way, the marks heal up before we do it again.  

Each time you get cupped, the marks will be less and less dark.  Eventually, they may not change color at all.  That's when you're "done."  

However, many people enjoy the benefits of regular cupping.  Once a month is a good maintenance "dose" of this type of body work.