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