This year’s Olympics are now in full swing and it’s all eyes on the athletes.
From archery and shooting to athletics and gymnastics, there’s all kind of sports taking place across Paris, France, at the moment.
One fan-favorite sport to watch is the swimming, and this year there’s a whopping 854 athletes from 187 different countries competing.
But there’s a common theme you might have spotted with some of the swimmers and that’s the unusual dark red circles they have on their backs.
While it might look like they’ve had a fight with an octopus and lost, there’s a very different reason for the odd markings.
It turns out that the large spots are from cupping therapy – an ancient healing technique that involves placing cups on the skin to create suction and increase blood flow to the area.
The unconventional method is supposed to help with muscle recovery and is used as a type of deep tissue massage.
Some athletes were spotted with cupping therapy bruises back at the Rio Olympics in 2016, and it’s still seemingly popular now.
Gymnast Alexander Naddour told USA Today back in 2016 that cupping was supposedly the ‘secret’ to his health.
He added: “It’s been better than any money I’ve spent on anything else.”
Away from the Games, basketball player Kyle Singler has also praised cupping therapy.
“The bruises do look more intense than what they actually feel like, but the benefit from it is really great,” he previously insisted.
Singler continued to tell Sports Illustrated: “You’re not necessarily getting the immediate response that you might want but over time it does help with recovery and loosening tissue and stuff like that.”
But does cupping therapy actually work according to experts? It’s seems as if the jury’s still out.
According to Harvard Health, some studies have found that cupping might provide some relief for a number of musculoskeletal and sports-related conditions. The quality of this evidence was ‘limited’, however.
Elsewhere a 2022 review found that wet (as opposed to dry cupping) was effective for lower back pain.
While the bruises people get from cupping are pretty gnarly, the therapy is generally seen as safe to practice – even if people aren’t 100 percent on how affective it is.
“Most experts agree that cupping is safe. As long as those treated don’t mind the circular discolorations (which fade over a number of days or weeks), side effects tend to be limited to the pinch experienced during skin suction,” Harvard Health explains.
“It’s quite unusual that cupping causes any serious problems (though, rarely, skin infections have been reported).”
There you have it, folks.
THIS ITALIAN TEEN’S 2006 DEATH COULD MAKE HIM THE FIRST MILLENNIAL SAINT!
Think about saints, and you might picture people who lived a long time ago. But there’s big news: the world might soon have its first millennial saint, someone who lived not too long ago!
Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager, could become the first millennial saint. He passed away in 2006 when he was only 15 years old. Carlo is special because he’s known as the patron saint of the internet. He was really good with computers and used them to talk about his faith.
Carlo was born in London, but his family moved to Milan when he was little. He loved Catholicism from a young age. His passion for the religion was so strong that it even inspired his mom, Antonia Acutis, to rejoin the church. Even as a kid, he went to church every day.
From a young age, Carlo felt a strong calling to help others. He did things like giving to homeless people to make a difference. Before he died, Carlo used his computer skills to create a website to help others.
After he passed away, his mom got messages from people all over the world. They told her about miracles that happened after they prayed to Carlo. Some said they got better from cancer or became able to have children.
Carlo’s mom said he was like a light in the darkness of the internet. Some people even called him an “influencer for God” because they admired him so much.
Carlo’s mom, Ms. Acutis, believes her son’s life shows how the internet can be used for good things.
In 2020, the Diocese of Assisi, where Carlo’s family had property, asked the Vatican to make him a saint.
In February 2020, Pope Francis said a sick boy got better after touching Carlo’s shirt.
To become a saint, Carlo needs one more miracle. The Vatican says a Costa Rican student got better after her mom prayed to Carlo.
The Pope might call a meeting to talk about making Carlo a saint, but there’s no date for the ceremony yet.
It will be interesting to see Carlo become the first millennial saint! What do you think? Let us know in the comments and share this news with your friends and family.
Leave a Reply