An Insider’s Perspective on Cupping after Media on the Rio Olympic Athletes

A Vivacity Acupuncture photograph showing two glass 'fire cups' placed on the patient's lower back.

By: Margie Navarro, LAc

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All Blog Posts | Fitness | Medical Science | Pain

September 1, 2016

Curious to get an insider’s medical perspective on the cupping marks Michael Phelps and other Olympians were sporting in Rio?

I’ve had several people ask my opinion on the media hubbub and first, let’s get some things straight:

The overwhelming majority of media attention on cupping due to the Olympics has not consulted medical professionals with cupping in their scope of practice and have therefore furthered misconceptions. The most prevalent false claim is that the marks left from cupping are bruises. A bruise forms when the blood vessels are broken. However, in cupping, vessel walls are stretched as the skin is pulled upward allowing blood cells to emerge from the natural openings in the vessels. After a short time, typically a few days, these blood cells will be reabsorbed and the marks will disappear. Importantly, this not only dramatically increases circulation in the area but it also clears blood from substances contributing to pain including metabolic byproducts, endogenous waste, exogenous toxic materials soluble in interstitial fluids and also clears materials deposited in the interstitial spaces yielding benefits long after the marks fade [1]. Bruising is a risk with cupping, but it is rare and would be the result of improper technique.

Why Cupping?

The most often cited medical reason to use cupping is the medical study showing marked decrease in pressure sensitivity in cases of neck pain.

This 2012 study of 61 people with chronic neck pain compared cupping to a technique called progressive muscle relaxation, or P.M.R., during which a patient deliberately tenses his muscles and then focuses on relaxing them [2]. Half the patients used cupping while the other half used P.M.R. Both patient groups reported similar reductions in pain after 12 weeks of treatment, but 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 study shows that physical function improves for over 8 months on average after a cupping session for neck pain [3]. This longer-lasting effect when done properly is a commonly reported benefit I see in my practice. If you have tried massage or other types of body work for a pain condition and have not seen lasting improvement, you may want to inquire with an acupuncturist about cupping to see if it would be a good fit for you.

Why Not Cupping?

Cupping is just one of many bodywork techniques that acupuncturists are trained in. It is especially suitable for patients who show other signs of blood stagnation or restricted circulation. Determining whether cupping is an appropriate therapy for a patient and the specific condition is something an acupuncturists would assess and only utilize if found to be so. See my Treatments page for other types of body work that are commonly used in conjunction with acupuncture and may be more appropriate than cupping depending on the condition and personal constitution.

[1] 2013. El Sayed SM, Mahmoud HS, Nabo MMH. “Methods of Wet Cupping Therapy (Al-Hijamah): In Light of Modern Medicine and Prophetic Medicine.” Altern Integr Med 2:111.

[2] 2013. Lauche, R. et. al. “Effectiveness of home-based cupping massage compared to progressive muscle relaxation in patients with chronic neck pain–a randomized controlled trial.” PLoS One. 2013 Jun 7;8(6):e65378.

[3] 2013. Lauche, R. et. al. “Cupping for chronic nonspecific neck pain: a 2-year follow-up.” Forsch Komplementmed. 2013;20(5):328-33.