History of Medicine

Bloodletting is a form of wet cupping and was a very common medical procedure in the Classical times. Because illness was thought to be caused by an imbalance of bodily fluids or humors, ancient physicians like Hippocrates figured draining the bad blood from a sick person would bring back good health. Although bloodletting was popular in ancient Greece and Rome, it originated in ancient Egypt like other forms of cupping as I mentioned in my last post.  In the procedure, a surgeon would first tie the patient’s arm to make the veins swell, then make an incision and drain out blood. The famous Greek physician Erasistratus taught that all illnesses were caused by an excess of blood, or plethora, so bloodletting was meant to return the body to its normal state. Even Galen who developed the concept of plethora or excessive humors recommended bloodletting widely for illnesses such as fevers and headaches, and expanded its use in the Roman empire. Ancient vase depicting bloodletting. Image: L

As I mentioned in my previous post, cupping can be done in two ways: dry or wet. Although dry cupping is the more common procedure used by athletes, wet cupping also has a fan following. Interestingly, both therapeutic approaches originated in ancient times, and apparently separately. Wet cupping derived from a distinctly different therapy called bloodletting which was very common in antiquity. In other words, I think modern wet cupping might be a combination of the ancient therapies of cupping and bloodletting (will need to dig deeper for confirmation of this fact). Wet cupping is similar to dry cupping in that it creates a mild suction by leaving a cup in place for a few minutes, but it is followed by the therapist making a tiny cut on the skin using a small scalpel. A second suction on top of that area draws out blood- a small quantity, but significant nonetheless! Although I would be too freaked out to try it, it has its supporters, and a recent study even found that it might be ef

Someone asked me what was cupping after I mentioned it in a recent post, so I decided to write a post explaining the ancient medical practice. Athletes, particularly swimmers, routinely show up with cupping marks on their bodies as seen in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics. The telltale red circles were first seen on Michael Phelps' torso at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Since then, it has become a popular therapy among athletes from swimming to gymnastics to football. I had a firsthand experience with cupping (No, I am not brave enough to try it!), but I got a peek of it when my old neighbor, former Patriots player Dwayne Allen, was getting it done on his back in his living room with the front door wide open! My brother now swears by it, so that's another personal experience I can claim. Michael Phelps showing cupping marks. Image: A-Team Performance Cupping is a procedure done primarily to reduce pain and inflammation but also for relaxation and to improve blood flow. Phelps and