In the ongoing Rio Olympics, Michael Phelps has hogged the limelight not just for increasing his total number of gold medals to a whopping 23, but also because of the appearance of strange red marks on his body. Though people were initially unaware of what it was, it was later learnt that he had undergone a deep tissue massage known as cupping. Not only Phelps, but a few other athletes as well as Hollywood celebs like Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow have been spotted earlier, having tried out the holistic practice!
So, what is the reason behind the sudden craze for this traditional Chinese treatment and can it be undergone by people other than celebs too? We talk to experts to get more insight on this.
Though many of us might be unaware, there are a few cupping therapy centres in Chennai. Dr. N. Saravanan, chief doctor of Priyam Clinic, where cupping is done, explains, “The therapy originated in Arabian countries. There are two types of cupping — dry cupping and wet cupping. As the latter is not scientifically proven — in our clinic, we only treat patients through dry cupping. Since this involves artificial inflammation, the neuron transmitters are triggered and the person who undergoes this instantly becomes active — this is why Phelps might have undergone this.”
Michael Phelps during his cupping therapy.
As far as the process goes, glass cups are generally used for the therapeutic treatment. They are fitted with a valve that is attached to a hand-operated pump, allowing the therapist to suck out air. As cups are generally placed in a particular place in the body for about 10 to 15 minutes, the skin will redden because of the congestion in blood flow. Later, the cup is removed from the skin by pressing the skin on one side, allowing some air to enter and thus equalise the pressure.
But, contrary to common misconceptions, the doctor tells us that cupping can be done to non-athletes too. “Ever since the news about this therapy went viral, I have been reading lots of false claims that it only benefits athletes. That is totally wrong. Cupping is one of the best ways to treat chronic illness like asthma. So, it is not necessary that only athletes can undergo this therapy,” he says, adding, “Given all this, I still think that there is a lack of awareness about cupping in Chennai. Not even one percent of people know about it. This therapy is very effective because it has got no side effects.”
AV Jayaveena, who is the daughter of Tamil actor Thalaivasal Vijay, is a prominent swimmer. The girl, who won a Gold medal at the 2015 National Games in Kerala, opines, “Though I still don’t know about cupping in depth, I feel that putting in 100 percent effort is more necessary than such therapies. In fact, Phelps had constantly been winning even before such treatments, right? There should be a valid reason why he would have undergone cupping. Maybe I would try the therapy sometime — but I still think, as an athlete, the amount of hard work is what will set you apart from the rest!”
