Pain in the lower back can be debilitating or it can be nagging, but regardless of its severity it results in a lowering of quality of life. Anytime your lower back is bothering us, so many of our daily routines are affected. Walking, reaching, even just sitting or laying down are made more difficult.

There are many different ways to treat lower back pain, depending on the severity of the problem, but almost always the best way to go is holistically— helping the body heal itself. We here can treat back pain multiple ways, and one of the preferred methods is the ancient Chinese practice of cupping.

You may have seen dark circles on the backs, arms and shoulders of athletes on TV. While they might not be the most attractive marks, they are not permanent…and most importantly, they are signs that the body is in a much more restorative state than it was before.

Cupping is the act of using suction on the skin to help pull muscles and tissue upwards to heal. Like acupuncture, it doesn’t hurt, so there’s no reason to be apprehensive about it. Dr. Kelsey Tangel tells Popsugar, “By gently pulling up the muscles and fascia upwards, it draws toxins to the surface of the skin where the immune system is better able to eliminate them.”

But cupping isn’t able to heal a major issue like lower back pain simply by helping the body better eliminate toxins—though that’s part of it. Cupping causes the body to increase bloodflow and white blood cells to the affected areas, which improved blood circulation and reduces inflammation.

Lower back pain cannot be cured by either cupping and/or acupuncture, but they both remain among the most effective and safe ways to treat the resulting pain and inflammation. Cupping can help improve your quality of life and get you moving freely again.