Cupping therapy in Rio spotlight / "飛魚"也愛拔罐 中醫民俗療法奧運走紅　　　　　　　　　　

The purple circles seen on several athletes competing in the Rio Olympics have thrust cupping therapy to the spotlight. If you don't know what it is, cupping therapy is an ancient Chinese treatment, which has been said to help improve blood circulation and relieve muscle tension. Michael Phelps, among others, is a fan. With large purple circles dotting his shoulder and back, U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps won his 19th gold Olympic medal in the 4x100 meters freestyle relay. Due to the dark purple circles on Phelps' body, there has been a surge of interest in cupping therapy, an ancient Chinese treatment which he claims to help relax his muscles and ease soreness. ==ERIKA WEBER, Licensed Acupuncturist== An athlete can benefit from cupping because it moves blood stagnation in the muscle layer. When there's blood stagnation, it causes range of motion issues, inflammation, so this helps bring it to the surface of the skin, so free flow of blood can move through the muscles and help move muscles more freely. The origin of cupping therapy dates back to ancient Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, and Middle Eastern cultures. During the treatment, glass or plastic cups are applied to the area of discomfort to create vacuum by heat or suction. The suction pulls the skin away from the muscle, draws oxygenated blood to the area, and causes the bruising. Besides improving blood circulation and relieving muscle tension, Chinese medicine doctors say it can also help them understand what is going on inside their patient's bodies. ==DR. XU HUAHAN, Chinese qualified TCM doctor, Acumedic== After cupping there are different marks of the surface of the skin. The color indicates a different toxin inside. For example, if it is purple it will mean you've got some blood stasis. If it is quite red it indicates you have some heat inside. And some people have blisters after cupping, which means you have dampness inside your body. However, some western medical societies are skeptical about the benefits of cupping therapy. There is a lack of accredited studies to prove cupping's effectiveness. Most of the results are not based on modern medical evidence, and trials outside China have not proved its worth. ==DAVID COLQUHOUN, specialist in pharmacology, professor of UCL== The air is heated and then contracts and that just gives you a bruise. There's no reason to think that it should affect the blood circulation in underlying muscle for example. Whatever the argument is, athletes in Rio are unlikely to give it up just yet. When competing in an event in which victory is measured in fractions of seconds, any little edge could a make difference. The effect of cupping therapy may be there just to help athletes snatch a gold. TRANSLATED BY：ARIEL HSIEH