>> Bruce: NUMBER OF OLYMPIANS
INCLUDING MICHAEL PHELPS HAVE
BEEN SPOTTED IN LARGE PURPLE
DOTS.
IT IS CALLED CUPPING IT PROMOTES
BLOOD FLOW.
BUT IS THERE ANY PROOF IT WORK?
Dr. ALI JOINS US TO TALK ABOUT
THIS PHENOMENA, DOES IT WORK?
IS THERE PROOF?
>>> THERE ARE ARE STUDIES THAT
SHOWS IT MAY BE BENEFICIAL FOR
CERTAIN DISEASES, MOSTLY IT HAS
BEEN STUDIES IN THE REALM OF
PAIN, ACNE, CERTAIN DISEASES
SUCH AS SHINGLES, FACIAL
PARALYSIS.
NECK PAIN HAS SHOWN BENEFITS.
MOST OF THE STUDIES ARE SMALL.
MOST OF THE STUDIES HAVEN'T HAD
HAVEN'T BEEN OF SPECTACULAR
QUALITY A NUMBER OF STUDIES
LOOKED AT 135 STUDIES FROM 1992
TO 2010 AND SHOWED SOME BENEFIT,
BUT AGAIN THE STUDIES WILL NOT
BE THE STRONGS OOH HIGH-POWERED
STUDY.
THE JURY IS OUT.
>>> I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING IN
THAT THAT WOULD TELL ME WHY THE
OLYMPIANS ARE DOING IT.
>> THE MECHANISM OF THIS IS THAT
YOU TAKE A HEATED CUP AND PUT IT
ON THE SKIN.
AS THE CUP COOLS IT CREATES A
VAC COUPLE AND THE BLOOD VESSELS
EXPANDS AND CAUSES A BIT OF
BLEEDING.
THE THOUGHT THAT BLEEDING BRINGS
FORTH BLOOD WITH INFLAMMATORY
CELLS AND PROMOTES HEALING AND
ACCELERATES THE HEALING PROCESS
SO THAT IT INCREASES RECOVERY
TIME.
>>> SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME THEORY
BEHIND USING A LEACH.
>>> THE LEACHING IS A BLEEDING.
WHAT THEY ARE DOING HERE IS DRY
CUPPING.
THERE IS PROCESS BY WHICH NOT
QUITE AS COMMONLY DONE AND I
WOULDN'T RECOMMEND TRYING IS WET
CUPPING WHERE THEY DO A SIMILAR
PROCESS, THEY CREATE A VACUUM
AND AND BRING MORE BLOOD TO THE
AREA.
I DON'T RECOMMEND ANYONE DOES
THAT.
BUT DRY CUPPING TECHNIQUE IS
THOUGHT TO PROMOTE HEALING.
THAT IS THE WESTERN MEDICINE
THEORY BEHIND IT.
IF YOU LOOK AT MORE EASTERN
MEDICAL THEORIES, AGAIN THIS IS
A CHINESE MEDICAL ART.
IT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED IN THE
LITERATURE OF EGYPTIAN MEDICINE
MEDICAL TEXT, GREEK MEDICINE
MEDICAL TEXT AND VERY, VERY DELL
AT THE AND INTRICATE WEB OF
ENERGY.
SO IF YOU PLACE THESE IN THE
PROPER AREA, YOU CAN INCREASE
THE STIMULATE THE FLOW OF ENERGY
SO THAT ALSO STIMULATES HEALING
AND REGENERATES THE BODY'S
ABILITY TO HEAL PROMOTES
RECOVERY AND SO FOR THESE
OLYMPIANS BEING ABLE TO GET BACK
AND COMPETE IN THIS SHORT AMOUNT
OF TIME DURING THE TWO WEEKS OF
THE OLYMPICS IS IMPORTANT.
THE OTHER THING TO KEEP IN MIND
IS THESE ARE WELL-TRAINED
ATHLETES ESPECIALLY THE AMERICAN
TRAINERS AND THEY'RE NOT GOING
TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT PUTTING
SOME THOUGHT INTO WHETHER IT IS
GOING TO HURT THEM.
BRUISING USUALLY GOES AWAY IN
THREE TOSEN DAYS.
STUDY HAVE NOT SHOWN LONG-TERM
HARM.
I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND DOING THIS
WITHOUT TALKING WITH YOUR
PHYSICIAN MAKING SURE IT IS SAFE
TO DO AND OBVIOUSLY MAKE SURE
THERE IS A REASON TO DO IT.
>> Bruce: I WAS GOING ASK WHO
CAN BEST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS.
>> MOSTLY DONE ON THE ATHLETES
ARE DOING IS PAIN AND TRYING TO
RECOVER IN AREAS THAT ARE
BOTHERING THEM AND THAT IS
WANTING IN THE EASTERN
LITERATURE THEY LOOK AT ACNE,
VARIOUS DIFFERENT PAIN, LOW BACK
PAIN, CERVICAL PAIN AND SHINGLES
AND FACIAL PARALYSIS.
THOSE WHO HAVE TO DO UNDER THE
GUIDANCE OF PHYSICIANS.
>>> MOST OF THE PATIENTS LOOK
TAKE I LIKE THEY WERE
COMFORTABLE.
I SAW ONE OR TWO GRIMAS AND SAY,
IT LOOKS PAINFUL IT LEAVES A BIG
PURPLE MARK, DOES IT HURT?
>>> I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED
CUPPING, BUT FROM WHAT I HAVE
READ AND THE THINGS THAT I HAVE
SEEN, IT SEEMS TO BE MOMENTARILY
UNCOMFORTABLE.
THE CUPPING PROCESS LASTS ABOUT
5 TO 10 MINUTES AND THE
SUCTIONING AND THE VACUUM IN
THAT AREA CREATES A BIT OF
PRESSURE BUT DOESN'T SEEM TO
LAST FOR A PROFOUND AMOUNT OF
TIME.
AGAIN, I WOULD RECOMMEND DOING
THIS UNDER A THE GUIDANCE OF A
PHYSICIAN IF YOU'VE NEVER DONE
THIS BEFORE.
>> Bruce: IF YOU MISSED ANY OF
THIS INTERVIEW YOU CAN WATCH IT
ON-LINE ON NEWS4JAX.COM.
LOOK ON THE MORNING SHOW PAGE.
IT WILL BE POSTED LATER THIS