Please only use a certified Diplomate of Oriental Medicine (Acupuncturist and Herbalist) to have cupping done to make sure they have spent dozens of hours learning this technique. Not a Chiropractor or massage therapist, or Physical Therapist who simply does not have the training. I have had people come to me scared to try it again because they were "hurt...and it was so excruciating I cried" by a PT who performed cupping incorrectly.
A number of Olympians - including the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, Michael Phelps - have been photographed with large red circles on their skin.
What are they, and why is everyone suddenly going dotty over them?
The mark of an Olympic athlete, at least at Rio 2016, seems to be a scattering of perfectly round bruises. Swimmers and gymnasts, particularly from Team USA, are among those seen sporting the mysterious dots.
Alex Naddour and other members of the US gymnastics team told USA Today they swear by cupping
There are plenty of other recovery techniques competitors use - including sports massage, sauna, ice baths and compression garments - but US gymnast Alex Naddour told USA Today that cupping was "better than any money I've spent on anything else".
"That's been the secret that I have had through this year that keeps me healthy," Naddour told the paper, adding that it had saved him from "a lot of pain".
