YouTuber Finds Out What It’s Actually Like To Get Olympic ‘Cupping’ Treatment

Getty

By now, you’ve probably seen your fair share of Olympians with strange marks on their skin.

It was later revealed that the likes of Michael Phelps had tried out cupping, a form of ancient Chinese acupuncture where hot cups are placed on the skin to create a vacuum, reports The Independent.

For thousands of years, the Chinese have believed that cupping helps to mobilise blood flow to promote muscle healing, and although the marks look painful AF, the process is apparently pain free.

Getty

And considering the most decorated Olympian of all time swears by it, perhaps it could improve all our breaststrokes?

YouTuber James Ware went to find out, by getting the treatment done by Dr. Shu Jan at the Shu Jan Health Care.

The footage shows James getting oil rubbed into his back, before Dr Shu warms up the cups with a flame.

They are then placed on James’ back, before they are rubbed up and down then pulled off, something James compares to a ‘really intense lovebite’. Ouch.

His back in insanely red after the cup has been used, with James quipping: “Apparently it’s very fashionable these days. Much cooler than a tattoo, much cheaper.” Probably more painful too!

Another ten cups are then applied to his back, before he’s asked to ‘relax’- easier said than done!

YouTube/James Ware

From comparing it to a tattoo, he then goes on to describe how it’s like ‘waxing for your back’- this isn’t sounding like my idea of fun.

As he screams out in pain, Dr Shu then applies a bag of herbs and spices to his back.

He turns over, exclaiming that the whole procedure felt like he’d ‘been in a car crash’, before he gets the herbs and spices rubbed on his chest.

YouTube/James Ware

And what about the results? Well despite its terrifying appearance, it was actually better than he thought.

James concludes:

Although there were moment where it felt like I was having Molotov cocktails thrown directly at my back in a street riot, coming out I’m actually feeling so relaxed that it was like I went to a Chinese hillside retreat.

YouTube/James Ware

Think I’ll just stick to sucking at swimming thanks.

UNILAD