If you watched Michael Phelps win 3 gold medals in the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics, you surely noticed the purple circular bruises on his arms and back. He wasn’t the only swimmer with marks of cupping however. Many swimmers showed off their own round bruises before diving into the water.
The small, round spots on the olympians raised a lot of questions. What is that? Why is it purple? How do you get them? What are they for? Why on earth would you do that to yourself? Well wonder no more. Here are your questions about the eastern-based medicinal muscle therapy technique called cupping.
Cupping is Muscle Therapy
Also referred to as Gua Sha muscle therapy, cupping is a centuries old Eastern Asian muscle healing technique. It uses a scraping tool, comb, or cup and vacuum pump, to bring the blood to the body’s surface. It breaks down the inflammation in the muscles and stimulates blood flow. It is believed to promote muscle healing.
The round, reddish purple marks are due to the inflow of blood vessels in the area left from the cup.
How it Works
Small circular cups are placed on the skin. There is small valve on the cup that allows a handheld suction pump to be attached. When pumped, a vacuum is created, sucking the air out and lifting the skin for fluid (blood vessels) to be drawn to. The cups can also be heated up to create this vacuum of air flow.
After 5 to 10 minutes, the cups are removed. This is when you see the mild purple bruises. The bruising and discoloration can last a week, but it is believed to speed up the recovery process and improve muscle movement.
Do you need help with muscle therapy or sports therapy? Call our office at 801-724-9840 to make an appointment with one of our award-winning doctors.