Indian newspapers may not have much news to report regarding our athletes’ performance in the ongoing Olympics. But, they surely noticed something that could excite the readers. The purple spots on the body of Michael Phelps have been a buzz in some national news papers.

Michael Phelps who seems to be breaking every record in swimming is now regarded as most successful Olympian of all time. And as curiosity regarding Michael Phelps began to grow, so does the zeal regarding the purple circles on his body. We have a hint that those circles are the result of a peculiar treatment he is undergoing called- The Cupping therapy!

Not a new one!

Cupping therapy is not to the civilizations. It has a history of more than 8,000 years and is still a part of the eastern traditional medicine. Even prophet Muhammad is said to have approved some ways of Cupping Therapy. There are many practitioners across the world who claims to be experts in the therapy. And there are societies in every country to promote the Cupping practice (Ex: The British Cupping Society).

The methods

During the therapy, suction is created over the skin with the help of cups. This is done either by heating the cups or sucking the air out. In some other cases, fire is placed in the cups for a while to build up the pressure for sucking the skin. Thus Cupping is classified as Dry Cupping or Wet Cupping depending on the method used.

Result!

The advocates of Cupping Therapy claim a lot of miracles with the procedure. They say that...

- Cupping brings more blood to the surface of the skin and thus promotes the healing power.

- It relieves the stress built up in the muscles by pulling them upward. Thus muscles are loosened and relaxed. This is the belief with which Michael Phelps is said to be opting for Cupping Therapy.

- It removes harmful toxins from the body.

- It heals the blood disorders such as anaemia.

- Rheumatic problems such as arthritis can be calmed down by the therapy.

- The therapy is said to be highly effective in skin problems such as eczema.

Well! In addition to the above, therapists suggest that Cupping Therapy treats all sorts of problems ranging from Anxiety to Fertility.

The truth

Researchers haven’t found much evidence in support of Cupping Therapy. Very few scientific studies were done to find out the validity of the therapy, and most of them are claimed to be biased. The American Cancer Society` has clearly noted that `available scientific evidence does not support claims that cupping has any health benefits`. And still the Cupping Therapy continues to flourish!
Side Effects

The Cupping Therapy leaves a bruise over the skin after the suction. Though such rashes get disappeared within 10-15 days... such bruises can sometimes lead to serious skin infections. Cupping can often result in burning of the skin which can be a cause of pain and discomfort.

Well! Many sceptics strike down that Cupping Therapy is nothing but a placebo. But as we can clearly see, the popularity of the therapy seems to be growing day by day. And with the success of Michael Phelps... we might soon hear about a Cupping Therapy practitioner in our own town!!!

- Nirjara.