When Team USA swimmer Michael Phelps made his Rio debut on Sunday, it was not just his gold medal-winning run in the 4x100m relay that got the nation’s attention.
A collection of large dark purple circles across the right hand side of the back and shoulders of the most decorated Olympian of all time had viewers asking a lot of questions.
It has since emerged that the marks, which have even been compared by some to giant love bites, are in fact an after-effect of cupping – an ancient Chinese remedy that is said to have a number of American swimmers and gymnasts hooked.
Eager to see whether the remedy really is worth all the Olympic attention, FEMAIL tested out the acupuncture technique to see what it really feels like.
Prominent: Olympic star Michael Phelps confused fans when he arrived at the Rio Aquatics Center with big purple circular marks on his shoulder and back, seen left and right
Suction: Senior Femail Reporter Miranda Bryant, pictured, tested the bizarre-looking Chinese treatment to see what it really feels like
Evidence: Miranda, pictured after the treatment at Acupuncture Remedies in New York, had marks on her back immediately after the procedure, but said they faded quickly
The treatment, during which a glass or plastic cup is suctioned to the skin, is said to stop ‘stagnation’ by allowing blood to flow into the area, and can be used to relieve any tightness and pain.
As well as Michael, other fans of the technique include US gymnast Alex Naddour, who told USA Today that cupping was ‘better than any money I’ve spent on anything else’ for recovery.
Many acupuncturists in New York City said they are already experiencing a surge in interest in the acupuncture technique – whose celebrity fans include Gwyneth Paltrow, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Aniston and Victoria Beckham – since the start of the Olympics.
Acupuncturist and massage therapist Ansgar Lee, of L.E.S Acupuncture and Bodywork, said: ‘Since the Olympics began I have seen more people requesting and asking about cupping.’
Acupuncturist Erika Weber, owner of 16th Street Acupuncture, said she has been inundated with inquiries, adding: ‘I’m so glad people are finally catching on.’
She said it is a ‘no brainer’ for swimmers who want to be at their physical peak in the pool where even one-hundredth of a second can make a difference.
Nailed it! Sports fans show off their patriotic pride with…
Team USA’s male gymnasts say they want to compete TOPLESS so…
Loosening up: Michaeel, pictured undergoing a cupping treatment on his legs last year, is among a number of Team USA swimmers and gymnasts who are fans of cupping
Build-up: Miranda, pictured, said she was nervous before the treatment because she thought it might be painful
Historic: The ancient Chinese technique is around 3,000 years old
She said: ‘Cupping allows the muscles to free up and have the more mobility and range of motion.
‘Its a no brainer for swimmers who need that little bit of extra reach when reaching for the wall.’
But she said non-swimmers – particularly fitness fanatics with strained muscles and office workers who sit at their desks all day – can also benefit.
When I arrived for my cupping session at Acupuncture Remedies in Manhattan I was nervous.
I wasn’t too worried about the longevity of the marks – it’s fast becoming an Olympic badge of honor – but I was concerned that it might involve fire and that it could hurt.
But founder Iris Netzer, who has been practicing acupuncture for more than 15 years, quickly put me at ease with her relaxed demeanor.
Stagnation: It is said to help aches and pains by improving blood flow to those areas
Simple: The cups were quick and easy for accupuncturist Iris Iris Netzer, pictured, to apply and the treatment took just a few minutes
Effective: The process uses a plastic cup with a little rubber attachment on the end
Experienced: Iris, pictured, has been practicing acupuncture for more than 15 years
Once I was lying on the treatment bed, the procedure was so painless that I had to ask Iris whether she had started.
I could feel something – it felt like a tight grip holding a chunk of my back flesh – but there was no sensation of sucking, pinching or pain.
It was not until afterwards, when I saw the pictures of the six cups causing boil-like mounds to protrude from my back, that I felt queasy.
As she applied the cups, which she left in place for a few minutes, Iris compared the treatment to a ‘hickey’.
She said the ancient technique, which originated in China around 3,000 years ago, used a glass jar and a flame to create a vacuum but Iris uses a plastic cup with a little rubber attachment on the end. Moving cups can also be used to slide them across the body.
She said: ‘From a Chinese medicine point of view, whenever there’s pain or lack of circulation in the body it’s called stagnation…
‘If you’re looking at it anatomically it’s like a vacuum, like a hickey, and it’s breaking up the blood vessels. It helps the stagnation, re-oxygenates those muscles.’
Celebrity fans: Gwyneth Paltrow, pictured left with cupping marks at a premiere in 2004, and Jennifer Aniston, pictured right with the circular spots, have both undergone cupping
Acupuncture: Justin Bieber, pictured left, and Victoria Beckham, pictured right, have both also been spotted with cupping marks
Immediately afterwards, I have clearly defined marks, but not as pronounced as Michael Phelps’s ones. But by later in the day, the circles have almost completely faded.
Iris said the purple color indicates stagnation but how long the marks remain afterwards depends on the individual and how they normally bruise.
She said the cups on the top of my back were ‘more purple than the other ones’ – indicating that there was more stagnation in that area.
Although patients often combine cupping with traditional acupuncture, the cupping process itself is over really quickly.
Afterwards I did feel a lightness in the top of my back where I had felt quite tight from exercise.
But Iris warned that fans of cupping not to overuse the technique. She said: ‘You want to be careful. There’s only so much room on your body. More is not necessarily better.’