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Showing Original Post only (View all)What Is Cupping and Why Is it Leaving Some Olympians With Spots? [View all]
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2016-rio-summer-olympics/what-cupping-why-it-leaving-some-olympians-spots-n625336<snip>
[Cupping: The Healing Technique Leaving Its Mark on Olympians]
Cupping: The Healing Technique Leaving Its Mark on Olympians 1:23
Why are some Olympic athletes sporting large purple spots?
The circles appearing on the arms, legs and backs of U.S. athletes like Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin and Alex Naddour result from a practice called cupping.
If you haven't heard of it, that's not because the practice is new it's actually ancient. Cupping is one of the oldest forms of Chinese medicine, dating back to the fourth century, according to Acupuncture Today, a newspaper about alternative medicine.
Standard cupping involves a glass cup and a flammable substance which heats the cup while it's on the skin. When the flame goes out, suction is created.
TODAY: What's with Michael Phelps' mysterious bruises?
In more modern cupping, called "air" cupping, a suction pump is attached to the cup, creating the vacuum-type pull on the skin, according to Acupuncture Today. Sometimes the skin is punctured before air cupping to draw out a small amount of blood. That's known as "wet cupping."
Based on photos posted by some Olympic athletes, they are practicing dry, air cupping, which causes surface capillaries to break, creating the purple bruise-like spots.
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Me too and it was then that my mother discovered that maybe I wasn't like the 'rest of the boys' as
Purveyor
Aug 2016
#29
I remember late 80s getting cupped before a minor surgery . When the nurses moved me to the
Person 2713
Aug 2016
#36
It's a method of separating out layers of your body. Skin from underlying fat or fascia, muscle.
uppityperson
Aug 2016
#11
Thanks for adding on the skin rolling. Those actually do physical things, like some types of cupping
uppityperson
Aug 2016
#22
If one feels like the cupping is beneficial then use it. I have never tried
Thinkingabout
Aug 2016
#28
Many insurance companies I brlieve even MedicareB in some cases will reimburse for accupuncture
Person 2713
Aug 2016
#37
Are you serious? Sure I was breathing and you know this is not what I was talking about.
Thinkingabout
Aug 2016
#50
I had a pain in my side that wouldn't go away. Regulat Doctor wanted me to take pain pills.
kimbutgar
Aug 2016
#56