The Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco shared a BTS look at her self-care routine in her Instagram stories.In the videos, she experiences several different types of bodywork, including cupping and gua sha.Kaley calls her therapist “an angel sent from heaven” because she helps her sore legs and hips.The Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco kicks some serious butt on and off screen-but even a total badass like Kaley needs some recovery help once in a while.
In a new series of Instagram stories, Kaley details her latest trip to the spa-but it doesn’t look quite as relaxing as you’d expect for a self-care session. On the menu? Gua sha and cupping treatments.
Kaley filmed the videos right from the treatment room and quizzed her therapist, who gave the low-down on the techniques. “I’m doing gua sha to remove all the fascia, it’s intense and tight,” her therapist Flory says. “Your nerves and ligaments get better.” Kaley’s view from the table is a bit more blunt: “She’s just scraping at me.”
Still, Kaley says Flory is “an angel sent from heaven who helps my body because my hips and legs hurt 24/7.” All those lunges, squat jumps, and leg lifts with her trainer George C. King can take their toll. “My legs hurt all the time. ALL THE TIME.”
Kaley’s scraping description is spot on. Gua sha translates to scrape in English.“In general, it is a vigorous scraping technique,” Britta Plug, a holistic skincare expert, owner of Studio Britta, and cofounder of Wilding Beauty previously told Women’s Health. Gua sha on the body is so intense, it can leave behind bruises.
That’s nbd to Kaley, who moves on to yet another intense treatment: cupping. Cupping is an ancient Chinese therapy that aims to fix or prevent health issues caused by stagnant blood or poor energy flow. The cups are typically glass or silicone and when applied to your skin, they create pressure that sucks your skin inward, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine.
Kaley says she’s seeking relief from constant hip and leg pain-and cupping can be used for that, though the research is still inconclusive. “That increased blood flow can relieve muscle tension, improve circulation, and reduce inflammation,” Chiti Parikh, MD, integrative medicine practitioner at the Weill Cornell Medicine Integrative Health and Wellbeing Center in New York City, previously told Women’s Health. “It’s all about getting rid of musculoskeletal pain, which is often a physical manifestation of chronic stress.”
Craving more tips from Kaley? Check out more of the star’s healthy secrets:
Mid-treatment, it was so intense Kaley could barely utter a few words. Afterwards, she shared more about the process and her recovery routine. “I am absolutely wrecked, I don’t even know how to function right now,” she explained. “I started at the gym […] Then I came over and got a bunch of body work, which guys I’ve got to do more of.”
She goes on to explain why self-care is so important. “I go a few weeks and I end up not being able to walk,” she shared. “My body just starts to shut down from complete overuse. If I don’t take care of it, I’m going to crumble. You’ve gotta take care of yourself in order to be able to care of the things around you.”
If you ask me, that’s A+ advice. Here’s to hoping Kaley keeps taking care of herself when she needs some extra TLC.