Might be giving this a try...
The polka dot welts all over Michael Phelp's shoulders and back have prompted a flurry of questions; How? Why? Who?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BI2UeB9BRlE/?tagged=cupping
The bruises it transpires are from a chinese technique called cupping. Thought to loosen tight muscles and aid recovery, cupping has been making an increasingly visible mark on the Rio stage with athletes across multiple disciplines using the therapy.
Alex Naddour, an American gymnast in Rio, said in an interview with
USA Today that cupping "provides relief from the soreness and pounding that come from gymnastics,” he said, “it's the secret that I have had through this year that keeps me healthy"
https://www.instagram.com/p/BI2f9Hzjbv_/?tagged=cupping
The technique involves applying hot suction cups to the skin. The effect on the body is then much the same when a hickey is given. The skin is suctioned upwards enough for the capillaries just below the surface to rupture.
The cupping welts also take about two long weeks to fade.
Cupping has been gaining in popularity in the west since the Beijing Olympics and more and more athletes including Andy Murray and Floyd Mayweather are being seen with the distinctive marks.
Practitioners claim cupping can help with recovery from muscular and joint pain by speeding up the inflammatory response and helping with recovery of soft tissue and muscles after injury and strain.
https://www.instagram.com/p/7djtuUyx7j/
The polka dots look painful and the science behind them is technically unproven but no one is arguing with 19 gold medals or anything that Phelps does to help keep him magnificent.
