The red marks on the body of some sportsmen and women always raise questions among many people. What is it? Why do many athletes have this dark red circle on their body? The answer is that they are marks left by a treatment method used to soften the joints. Athletics greats such as Michael Phelps and Alexander Naddour have used this practice. Browse the following lines of this article for more information on this form of therapy.
Cupping, a very old therapy?
Cupping is an ancient practice that has its roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It has been used for centuries to relieve pain. It is a therapy that leaves red marks on the treated parts of the body. Although it is the prerogative of the ancient Chinese culture, cupping was also used by the Greek civilisation until the 20th century.
It is also a recognised treatment method used by Indian, Arab and even European therapists. According to a Chinese precept, practices related to cupping are effective against almost half of the common pathologies. This form of therapy was also cited by Hippocrates (430-377 BC) in his work "The Art of Healing".
What is cupping and how does it work?
First of all, it must be said that cupping is a practice that is essentially based on the use of glass, bamboo or earthenware cups. This is why it is still nicknamed cupping therapy, orhijama. In fact, these objects are essentially responsible for pulling the skin and thus relaxing the muscles. Their actions are also seen on the tendons. Then, it should be noted that this type of care is declined in 3 categories. There is the dry cupping therapy, the wet cupping therapy and the mobile cupping therapy.
Dry cupping therapy
This is the most common form of cupping. Dry cupping is done with a small bell in which negative pressure is applied. This is then applied to the skin. This pressure is generated in two different ways.
Firstly, a small alcohol-soaked pad must be flamed. The pressure is said to be produced while hot. Secondly, the pressure must be produced by sucking in air directly. This is the cold production technique. Either way, the pressure leaves a mark on the skin. The reason for this is that the treatment has an effect on the skin. The vacuum created pulls the skin and blood vessels towards the suction cup.
Wet cupping therapy
The principle remains the same as for dry cupping therapy with one exception. As in the previous case, negative pressure must also be applied to the skin. However, the special feature here is that small incisionsare made at specific points on the skin. The purpose of the scarification is to draw some blood from the patient.
Moving cupping therapy
The last variant of cupping is different from the first two forms mentioned. Mobile cupping therapy is more like a type of energising massage. Like dry cupping and wet cupping, this form also aims at therelaxation of muscle joints.
The benefits of cupping therapy
Sportsmen and women are the main category of people who use cupping. Indeed, it is a method that facilitates the circulation of blood in the body and helps to activate the lymphatic system. Thanks to the localised swelling of this therapy, tired muscles recover very quickly and sore parts of the body are relieved more quickly.
By the way, Dr. Charles Kim, a specialist in rehabilitation medicine at theRusk Rehabilitation Centerin New York says that cupping is a perfect solution to accelerate the healing process.
Cupping in sports
The famous swimmer Michael Phelps uses this therapy to relax his muscles during competitions. During the Olympic Games in Rio on 7 August 2016, all the attention was focused on the dark red circles covering the athlete's body. Also, gymnast Alexander Naddour claims that he undergoes cupping treatment to stay healthy in an interview with USA Today.
In addition, the professional fitness trainer Mikael Berthommier confides that he also uses cupping. And this is especially to assist athletes with fascia lata tendonitis, also known as iliotibial band syndrome.
Experiments to prove the effectiveness of cupping
Although not numerous, scientific studies have been conducted to determine the healing potential of cupping therapy. In 2012, a study was conducted on 61 people with chronic neck pain by the German University of Duisburg-Essende.
The aim of this research is to determine the effectiveness of cupping on progressive muscle relaxation. After 12 weeks of treatment, the group of patients who had undergone cupping therapy saw their condition improve much more than the group who had not been subjected to it.
Also, identical results were observed in another experiment conducted in Germany at the Charité University Medical Center on 40 people suffering from knee arthritis. Also in 2014, the Chinese Medical University in Beijing conducted a study on the effectiveness of cupping. The conclusions of the study clearly show that cupping can significantly reduce pain.
The healing properties of cupping therapy
Cupping is mainly used in Chinese medicine to treat certain diseases. Thus, cupping therapy is effective for:
- Fighting against respiratory and rheumatic diseases;
- Curing recurrent migraines;
- Soothe dermatological, digestive and gynaecological pains;
- Relieve sprains, tendonitis;
- Treating pain due to arthritis, neuralgia;
Cupping therapy at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
The great sporting event that brought together all the best athletes in the world was an opportunity to see the use of cupping among athletes. Cupping therapy was adopted by the All-Blacks rugby player Sonny Bill Williams and the vast majority of the New York Mets baseball team. The red circular marks on the bodies of professional swimmers Nathan Adrian and Michael Phelps were also noticeable.
