When I first saw this, I honest to God lost it...

I had no idea what cupping was. When Jen asked if I'd scratch her back, I lifted her shirt and thought,

OH MY GOD! YOU'RE DYING!!

Nope. She had seen her acupuncturist Mary. She did some cupping on her back.

SO YOU'RE NOT DYING?

Nope. Cupping is: (in Chinese medicine) a therapy in which heated glass cups are applied to the skin along the meridians of the body, creating suction as a way of stimulating the flow of energy. Jen loves it and swears by it - and no...it doesn't hurt.

I'm sure you've notices the big circles on some of the athletes at the Olympics...like Michael Phelps.

GettyImages
GettyImages
loading...

 

Or gymnist Alex Naddour...

GettyImages
GettyImages
loading...

How is it done and does it hurt and what the hell does it do?

You light flammable liquid in a glass cup. When the flame goes out, it creates a suction which sticks the cups to the body. It actually pulls the skin away from the body (it's kinda gross looking) and it promotes blood flow and leaves red spots. Think of them as an ancient healing form of a hickey.

GettyImages
GettyImages
loading...

Athletes say they are using it to ease aches and pains, and it helps them recover from so much use of their muscles.

 

Or it's hickeys...

 

 

More From Q97.9