What is Cupping? Why is Michael Phelps Doing It?
September 5, 2016
By Brenda Goodman
As Michael Phelps powered the U.S. men’s 4×100 relay to gold at the Olympics on Sunday, many noticed the big, purple spots dotting his right shoulder and back. Viewers took to social media to speculate: Maybe he fell asleep on his medals? Did he get Zika? None of the above. It turns out the spots are bruises created by a centuries-old traditional Chinese therapy called cupping, and it’s all the rage among elite athletes.
So what the heck is it? In cupping, a therapist places a glass cup over the area to be treated. A pump or heat is then used to create suction inside the cup. The suction pulls hard against the skin. It takes about five minutes to apply the cups, which sit on the skin for 15 to 20 minutes. Athletes who’ve tried it say it feels like a strong pinch.
Cupping has become a trendy therapy for athletes who want to improve their flexibility and range of motion. Many also swear that it helps their sore muscles recover after intense workouts.
Cupping creates suction, or negative pressure, which lifts the skin and other tissues. The exact way it might work isn’t clear, but therapists who use it with their clients believe the negative pressure improves blood flow to the area and speeds recovery.
There haven’t been many high-quality studies of cupping, however. One 2012 review of 135 randomized, controlled studies of cupping concluded it could be helpful for conditions ranging from back pain to shingles to acne, especially when combined with other treatments. But the study authors also cautioned readers against putting too much stock in the therapy since most of the studies didn’t rigorously test it.