When Did Cupping Therapy Arrive in Montreal?

If you’ve ever walked past a wellness clinic in Montreal and spotted someone with little round marks on their back, chances are you’ve just seen the result of cupping therapy in Montreal, QC. Those famous circles spark curiosity everywhere. However, do you know when this ancient practice actually made its way into Montreal? Let’s talk about it.

Cupping Therapy in Montreal, QC: A Tradition Older Than the City Itself

Cupping therapy has a history that stretches back thousands of years. Long before Montreal even appeared on a map, people in ancient Egypt were already using cups to pull tension from the body. Over time, the practice traveled east into China, where it became an important part of traditional Chinese medicine. It also found a strong place in Middle Eastern healing, where hijama became both a physical treatment and a spiritual ritual.

Montreal, on the other hand, was founded in 1642. By then, cupping therapy had already been practiced for centuries, passed carefully from healer to healer across different cultures. In other words, this therapy is much older than the city itself. 

So, while the St. Lawrence River carried fur traders, explorers, and settlers into the area, people on the other side of the world were already leaning on cupping to ease pain, fight illness, and improve circulation. The timing shows how global this practice was becoming long before it ever touched Canadian soil.

Early Immigrant Influences

As new communities settled in Montreal, they brought with them their own traditions and ways of maintaining health. Cupping was one of those practices that became part of the city’s story.

• China:

Chinese families, for example, introduced it through traditional Chinese medicine. Herbal shops in Montreal’s Chinatown often carried the tools and remedies for cupping, and these spaces became early places where curious locals first heard about the therapy.

• Middle East

Middle Eastern families also practiced hijama, a form of wet cupping that holds both cultural and spiritual meaning. It was often shared in small clinics or during community gatherings, keeping the practice alive in family and cultural circles long before it was widely recognized across the city.

• Europe

European immigrants added another layer. In some households, glass cups and herbal cures were part of everyday folk remedies. For them, cupping was already familiar, something they could pass down quietly at home.

From Backrooms to Wellness Studios

For much of the 20th century, cupping therapy in Montreal, QC, lived hidden inside small cultural communities. Families kept the tradition going, and you’d often hear stories like, “My grandmother used to do this with heated cups when someone caught a cold.” It wasn’t until the 1980s and 1990s that things began to change. Montreal’s wellness culture was growing, and new spaces like yoga studios, acupuncture clinics, and holistic health centers started to appear. Along with them came cupping therapy, slowly making its way onto service menus.

At that time, it still felt mysterious. A handful of practitioners, many of them trained abroad, introduced it more openly. Word spread, and curious Montrealers who were eager for natural options began to try it. Step by step, that curiosity carried cupping out of private homes and into the city’s wider wellness culture.

The Celebrity Effect on Cupping Therapy in Montreal

Then came the turning point. In the mid-2000s and especially after the 2016 Olympics, when swimmers like Michael Phelps showed up with those famous circular marks, cupping became a hot topic worldwide. Montrealers noticed. Local media covered it, wellness bloggers wrote about it, and suddenly, cupping therapy in Montreal was no longer a hidden cultural practice, but a part of the city’s health conversation. Wellness centers across Montreal, such as Eternel Experiences, began promoting cupping therapy as a way to reduce stress, help with sore muscles, and improve blood circulation. The city’s athletes, dancers, and fitness lovers were among the first to adopt it, swearing by its quick recovery benefits.

Why Did Montreal Adopt It So Quickly?

Montreal loves mixing cultures, ideas, and traditions. So when cupping therapy started becoming more popular, people were quick to welcome it. Here’s what made it catch on so fast:

• Love for global traditions: People in Montreal are curious about the world. They enjoy trying practices from different cultures, and cupping felt like a meaningful way to connect with those traditions while also focusing on health.
• An active lifestyle: Hockey players, runners, and yoga lovers all deal with sore muscles. Cupping promised relief and faster recovery, making it easy for the city’s active community to adopt.
• The wellness trend: Natural therapies like massage, acupuncture, and herbal remedies were already becoming popular. Cupping slipped into that mix and felt like a natural next step.

Where Does It Stand Today?

Now, you can find cupping therapy in Montreal, QC, almost anywhere. It’s in upscale spa menus, local acupuncture clinics, athletic recovery centers, and even in mobile services where practitioners bring the cups to your home. The practice has become versatile, offering both the traditional fire-cupping method and the modern silicone suction cups. What’s fascinating is that while it’s mainstream now, it still carries a sense of cultural depth. 

Visit Eternel Experiences for the best cupping therapy session in Montreal!