Images Courtesy of Ben Cumming
Why Are USA Olympians Covered in Circles?
Athletes use them but do they really work on reducing pain?
The mark of the American athlete in the 2016 Rio Olympics is showing perfectly round bruises on their bodies. Gymnasts and swimmers are now using cupping as a treatment for sore muscles, aches, and pains.
The USA team has been sporting the mysterious marks as they compete in the Olympics games giving us curiosity in the treatment of musculoskeletal stiffness. These dots are not caused by any mischievous act by a 3,000 year old procedure called cupping.
The USA team has been sporting the mysterious marks as they compete in the Olympics games giving us curiosity in the treatment of musculoskeletal stiffness. These dots are not caused by any mischievous act by a 3,000 year old procedure called cupping.
Olympians chose to use traditional Chinese healing techniques called cupping to relax sore muscles and increase blood flow to certain areas on their body. Cupping is an alternative therapy in which suction is created on the skin. Through suction, the skin is drawn into the cups by creating a vacuumed and placing the cups on targeted areas on the skin. The vacuumed can be created by either cooling or heating the air in the cup or via mechanical, pump.
Athletes use cupping to relieve pain and stiffness for muscles after training long hours and performing in computations. The vigorous training on the body can take a toll over a long period of time. The Olympians find cupping to be relaxing and rejuvenating although scientific evidence has not proven the benefits of this ancient technique.
The cup is usually left on the skin for 5 to 15 minutes. It is believed that cupping can relieve inflammation, muscular stiffness, treat pain deep scar tissues in the muscles and connective tissues, muscle knots and swelling; however the efficiency of this is unproven.
Ancient Methods of Treatments
Broadly speaking there are three methods of cupping, dry cupping, traditional Chinese cupping and bleed cupping (controlled bleeding) wet cupping being used more commonly in alternative medicine. Neither method has verifiable health benefits. Preferences vary with practitioners and cultures.
The cups can come in various shapes of bells and balls and vary in sizes from 1 to 3 inches (25-76mm) across the opening. Plastic and glass are the most common materials used today replacing the horn, pottery, bamboo and bronze cups used in earlier times.
The low pressure can be created by heating the air inside the cup with hot scented oils or flame and then placing it on the skin to create a suction effect. As the air cools it draws the skin in slightly inside the cup. Recently suction can be created with a mechanical suction pump action through a valve on top of the pump. Rubber cups are also available and can be used on uneven or bony surfaces on the body and are more easily adaptable.
Depending on the treatment the skin markings are common after the cups are removed and should only last for a short period of time. This maybe a simple red ring that disappears quickly. The discoloration is bruising caused by the suction from the cups and especially the movement from dragging the cups from one location to another in the treatment. As the cups gently slide across the skin during the process bruising can occur and is usually painless.
In practice the cups are used on soft tissue and can form a good seal with the surface of the cup. They may be use singly or use multiple cups to cover a larger area on the body.
They may be used by themselves or placed over acupuncture needles. The skin can be dry or wet using oil that allows the cup to gently slide across the body without breaking the suction on the skin. Training for hours per day can take a toll. USA Athletes report cupping is great for pain relief and relaxation.
3,000 Year Old Treatment For Pain Relief
This process dates back to the Egyptians, Chinese and middle Eastern Cultures and works by placing cups on the skin creating a suction along the meridians of the body releasing tension and increasing blood flow through tender muscles while stimulating energy flow.
Cupping has gained publicity from the American Sports celebrities, National Football Player, De Marcous Ware and, Olympians Alexander Naddour, Natailie Coughlin and Michael Phelps. Medical doctor Brad Mckay wrote that the team USA was doing a great disservice to their fans who might follow their lead by using cupping as a treatment for muscular pain relief and discomfort.
Calling cupping a useless traditional therapy. Practicing Surgeon David Gorski claims there is risks involved and no benefit from cupping and has no place in modern medicine and call this a celebrity fad. Others disagree and find cupping to be therapeutic for deep muscle relaxation and increased blood flow and oxygenation to targeted areas on the body. You decide.
Cupping has been performed by untrained individuals without any medical training for over 3,000 years. Traditional Persian Medicine in Iran uses wet cupping practices with the belief that cupping with scarification may eliminate scar tissue and cupping without scarification would cleans the body though the organs for toxin elimination. Individuals with a profound interest in the practice seek purification for religious reasons.
Olympians UseTraditional Chinese Medicine Cupping
What is Cupping? Here is what you need to know
According to traditional Chinese Medicine cupping is used to create a vacuumed on the patients skin to dispel stagnation (stagnate blood and lymph) improving blood flow and lymphatic fluids in the body treating disease such as bronchitis, colds and pneumonia.
Cupping is also used for lumbar, cervical, thoracic and other musculoskeletal conditions. Advocates say that cupping can be used for other treatments however caution is advised. Cupping should not be performed on broken or infected skin, ulcers, and abdominal regions or on pregnant women.
Fire Cupping The New Fad or Not?
Fire Cupping involves soaking a cotton ball in 99% alcohol. Holding the cotton with forceps and then lighting the cotton on fire with a lighter. The cotton ball is placed inside of the glass cups heating up the air and the cups are sterically placed on the body creating a gentle suction. Using a lit cotton ball to heat the air inside of a glass cup and is placed on a specific area of the skin. The skin will contract to the suction procedure by gently lifting into the glass cup stimulating blood flow to that area.
This alternative treatment is use to release tension in the muscles and aid in healing. Olympians use this treatment for muscle repair and rejuvenation. Their sessions require long hours of repetitive motion, strength and resistance training causing muscular soreness and sometimes injury. Using the traditional cupping method can elevate pain and discomfort providing relaxation through deep muscle treatments.
Applying massage oil can lubricate the suction cups and allow the cups to gently glide over muscles in the cervical, trapezius erectors, latissimus, dorsal, lumbar, gluteus etc. In the act called moving cupping. Dark circles may appear where the cups are placed creating bruising from broken capillaries.
Burns have been reported from this treatment and those who choose to practice fire cupping should be cautious.
This ancient technique has been used for over 3,000 years and has now gained popularity with our athletes and celebrities as a great way to relieve pain and restore muscular functionally.
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Author
Patricia Lynn
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