Cupping therapy
Suction cups on sore muscle, the source of those circular marks on athletes
Cups of glass or plastic go on the skin and a pump or flame draws the air out, so the skin and surface tissue lift into the cup for a few minutes. Round bruises follow. They fade over days, which is how the world learned about the practice during the 2016 Olympics. Athletes use it on tight or sore muscle as one piece of a recovery routine, alongside massage and stretching; a physio, trainer or acupuncturist does the work in a session of ten to fifteen minutes. Trials so far are small. Evidence for anything beyond short-term relief is thin, so it appears here as something a named person does, not as a treatment.
Who backs it
Sorted by strength of stance
- Michael PhelpsDoes it
Olympic swimmer · Most decorated Olympian in history
Cupping was a standing part of his recovery through his career. The same strength and conditioning trainer handled it for fifteen years, and he says he still goes for cupping and acupuncture twice a week.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show #494: Michael Phelps and Grant Hackett, transcript
Aimed at the same thing
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