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.
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| 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 other athletes reportedly do it to relieve tension in their muscles. It works in a way opposite of massages because it uses suction cups to pull the skin back and loosen muscles and tendons, whereas a massage involves pressing the skin and muscles.
There are two forms of cupping: dry and wet. Dry cupping is the more common approach and uses suction cups to create a low vacuum on the skin. It typically involves adding a flammable substance like alcohol or herbs inside the cup and lighting it. When the flame goes out, the cup is placed upside down on the skin. As the air inside it cools, it creates a vacuum and pulls the skin upwards causing the blood vessels to expand and thereby causing red splotches on the skin. It is also thought to relieve muscle tension and form new connective tissue, which is why it is so popular with athletes. Wet cupping is more elaborate and sucks out small amounts of blood from small incisions on the skin. Wet cupping is a form of bloodletting, which is another ancient form of medical therapy, which I will write about separately.
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| Modern cupping therapy. Image: Cedars Sinai |
Despite making it to popular culture only recently, cupping actually has a long history, dating back to at least 281 CE in China (perhaps earlier according to some accounts). Ancient Chinese medicine used cupping as a mechanism to drain toxins from snake bites and skin lesions out of the body. It slowly grew in popularity and started being used to help in the circulation of stagnant qi energy and restore the balance of yin and yang. This restoration of balance is believed to improve blood flow, promote cell repair and help the body build resistance to pathogens. The cups were traditionally made from animal horns, but now they are made of bronze or glass cups.
There was extensive use of cupping in ancient Egypt too, although it is not clear if it developed independently or came from China. Cupping was documented in the Ebers Papyrus, the oldest medical manuscript dating 1550 BCE, which seems to settle the debate on its origin. From Egypt, it was introduced to the Greeks and spread all over Europe and even America. Cupping was strongly advocated by Hippocrates and Galen as a means of drawing excessive humors from the body to the surface and was a big part of medical therapy at the time.
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| Cupping or Hijama practice from ancient Greece |
Although it has become very popular among athletes, the jury is still out on the efficacy of cupping therapy. Some professionals endorse it strongly for its ability to reduce pain and soreness, as a form of deep tissue massage but many other doctors refute it stating there is no scientific evidence to support cupping as a medical practice. Proven or not, cupping therapy is certainly growing in popularity among athletes and celebrities, and hey, if it helps Phelps (tongue twister alert!) win five gold (and one silver) medals, who are we to argue?
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| Phelps with his medal haul from the 2016 Olympics. Image: Sports Illustrated |
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