What are the large red circles all over Michael Phelps skin? It’s a therapy called Cupping Therapy which relieves the tension in muscles.

In this therapy, heated glass cups are applied to the skin along the meridians of the body, creating suction and believed to stimulate blood flow to promote the healing of a broad range of medical ailments.

Cupping therapy dates back to ancient Egyptian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern cultures. One of the oldest medical textbooks in the world, the Ebers Papyrus, describes how the ancient Egyptians were using cupping therapy in 1,550 B.C.

 It’s a therapy in which heated glass cups are applied to the skin along the meridians of the body, creating suction and believed to stimulate blood flow to promote the healing of a broad range of medical ailments.

Chinese researchers concluded that cupping therapy may be effective when combined with other treatments like acupuncture or medications in treating various diseases and conditions, such as Acne, Rashes, Facial paralysis, Osteoarthritis.

There are various types of cupping therapy including, Dry cupping (suction only) and Wet cupping (combination of suction and controlled medicinal bleeding).During both types of cupping, a flammable substance such as alcohol, herbs, or paper is placed in a cup and set on fire. As the fire goes out, the cup is placed upside down on the patient’s skin.

As the air inside the cup cools, it creates a vacuum. This causes the skin to rise and redden as blood vessels expand. The cup is generally left in place for five to 10 minutes.

A more modern version of cupping uses a rubber pump to create the vacuum inside the cup. Sometimes practitioners use medical-grade silicone cups. These are pliable enough to be moved from place to place on the skin and produce a massage-like effect.