Why does cupping work?
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I'd like to start a thread to hypothesize why it is that athletes feel improvement generally and in muscle recovery as a result of cupping. The explanation usually offered is that it "increases bloodflow" — but that doesn't sate my curiosity. Perhaps, like ice baths, it is a treatment which provides temporary relief at the cost of long term health.
The marked discoloration of the skin which follows cupping treatment is said to result from broken blood vessels – equivalent to bruising. Is this a means by which cupping works its magic, or a sign to hold it in suspicion?
