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If you’ve been watching the Olympics, you’ve likely noticed the circular, bruise-like marks across the back of swimmers like Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi (who won the gold in this year’s men’s 100-meter breaststroke) and star of the Rio Olympics Michael Phelps.
Cupping therapy, simply called cupping colloquially, is an Eastern medicine practice loved by both professional athletes and the Goop set. But unlike other wellness practices, this one comes with an unusual party favor. “Think of cupping as a reverse massage,” says Wthn’s lead healer and acupuncturist Laura Sniper, DAc, LAc, LMT. “Massage therapy is a positive pressure downward on the muscles and fascia to stretch them and stimulate circulation. In cupping, the tissue is getting lifted and stretched by the application of suction cups that creates pressure on the muscles and fascia and increases localized circulation.”
The suction cups are left on the body for somewhere between 5 to 10 minutes, which is why the circle marks (which are comparable to a bruise…or even a hickey) appear. “The darker the marks, the more history of tension in that area of the body,” Dr. Sniper says. “It generally signifies that the muscles in that area have been overworking for a longer period of time.”
Actor and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow was also an early adopter of cupping (and potentially the first time you ever heard of the practice). In 2006 she was papped with the marks at a film premiere in New York City—though the celebrity obsession has passed on to stars like Jennifer Aniston and Hailey Bieber.
Dr. Sniper says anybody can benefit from cupping therapy, whether an athlete, celebrity, or humble Vogue reader. “Anyone with muscle tension or body aches and pains would benefit from cupping,” she says. “One cupping session will already bring you immediate relief for your muscles and fascia. For athletes, I recommend cupping twice a month, especially during training seasons. For everyone else, once a month is a great cadence, but you can always do it more frequently if you need relief from muscle pain or soreness.”
