Michael phelps cupping pictures

The ancient healing method of cupping is being used by several Olympians in Rio de Janeiro. The technique is intended to stimulate blood flow. Practitioners of the healing technique — or sometimes the athletes themselves — place specialized cups on the skin.

Swimmer has large purple marks on his body at Rio Olympics, the result of a type of suction massage popular with the US team. While the guesses as to their origin offered on social media ranged from crop circles to tattoos to a symptom of the Zika virus , the real answer is they are the result of cupping therapy — a suction-based massage popular in the US Olympic team. In the ancient form of the therapy, believed to originate in Egypt or China, the air inside the cup is heated before being place on the skin, creating suction in that cupped area. The modern form of the therapy, and the one that Phelps has been photographed receiving, uses cups attached to suction pumps. This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies.

Michael phelps cupping pictures

Thanks arschmitty for my cupping today!!! If it works, it works. And for those of you who want to see a close-up of Phelps doing whatever it takes to stay at the top of his game and the Games At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone. Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall. Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? As Americans head to the polls in , the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to having well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls. We cannot do this without your help.

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The practice has been used in ancient Chinese medicine for thousands of years as a way to treat pain, muscle stiffness and even respiratory issues. Perhaps one of the most notable athletes to sport the signature cupping marks is Michael Phelps. Other athletes, including swimmer Natalie Coughlin have also embraced the practice, as you can see below. A post shared by Natalie Coughlin nataliecoughlin. So how does cupping work? Either heat or air is used to create a suction in special cups that are placed on the body. Cupping is thought to pull blood to a certain area, and improve circulation and loosen up muscles and joints. In the U. A specialist can apply the cups, though as USA Today reports , some athletes say they are doing it themselves.

Michael phelps cupping pictures

Thanks arschmitty for my cupping today!!! If it works, it works. And for those of you who want to see a close-up of Phelps doing whatever it takes to stay at the top of his game and the Games

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Notably, the patients who had used cupping scored higher on measurements of well-being and felt less pain when pressure was applied to the area. Another experiment involving 40 patients who suffered from knee arthritis found that people who underwent cupping reported less pain after four months compared to arthritis sufferers in a control group who were not treated. Thanks arschmitty for my cupping today!!! Both patient groups reported similar reductions in pain after 12 weeks of treatment. Robinson said. Terms Privacy Policy. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to having well-informed voters. We cannot do this without your help. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls. Allow and continue.

Phelps also posted a shot of himself on Instagram being cupped last year. But doctors who specialize in both mainstream and alternative medicine say when it comes to the science behind the ancient Chinese practice, the answers are vague.

At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to having well-informed voters. Last year, Swimming World magazine noted that some college programs had begun using cupping therapy as well as the former Olympian Natalie Coughlin, who has posted a number of photos of herself undergoing the treatment. Thanks arschmitty for my cupping today!!! Practitioners of the healing technique — or sometimes the athletes themselves — place specialized cups on the skin. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone. Another experiment involving 40 patients who suffered from knee arthritis found that people who underwent cupping reported less pain after four months compared to arthritis sufferers in a control group who were not treated. Thanks arschmitty for my cupping today!!! Kalichman said he believes the treatment has a real physiological effect as well. Popular in the Community. He also posted an Instagram photo showing himself stretched on a table as his Olympic swimming teammate Allison Schmitt placed several pressurized cups along the back of his thighs. From Our Partner. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. Terms Privacy Policy.