Finally, my book on alternative
medicine is published! I tried every
alternative therapy there is – or did I?
This past summer, after completing the final version of my book, edits
and all, the Summer Olympics come on television. And what do I see? None other than the great Michael Phelps,
ageless wonder and swimmer extraordinaire, covered with hideous red
circles. Has he been attacked by an army
of leeches while swimming in the contaminated waters of Brazil? No, I learn from the announcers, he is the
latest disciple of cupping. Not only
does he go on to win a gold medal in the event I am watching, but he goes on to
rewrite the record books as the most decorated Olympian ever. Certainly, cupping is his secret. As a result, everyone asks me if I have tried
this ancient therapy. When I say “no,” I
can tell I have lost a potential reader.
What kind of alternative medicine book leaves out cupping? I rationalize that cupping is “alternative”
alternative medicine. Alas, I learn
that cupping is not just popular with Mr. Phelps, but that People magazine’s world’s most beautiful woman, Jennifer Aniston,
along with Gwyneth Paltrow, Victoria Beckham and even tennis star Andy Murray
are devotees of cupping. Thus, despite
having completed my book, my adventures in alternative medicine shall continue
– I must try cupping.
“What is cupping?” you might
ask. Cupping, a form of acupuncture,
dates back over 5000 years. It is
reported that as early as 3000 B.C., the ancient Egyptians performed cupping.
Hippocrates purportedly used cupping to cure internal disease around 400
B.C. Later, cupping was embraced by the
Chinese, and it continues to be popular in Asian culture even today. The goal of cupping, which is achieved by creating
vacuum pressure in cups applied across your body, is to draw out inflammation
by increasing the local blood supply to the underlying muscles and skin, thus
allowing toxins to be carried away. These
are two of my favorite alternative medicine themes – “inflammation” and “toxins.” Reading further, I learn that both acute and
chronic conditions can be treated by cupping.
How is cupping done? There are
various methods. In one, cup-like pneumatic
devices which create suctioning like a small vacuum cleaner are applied to the
skin, while more traditional methods involve lighting alcohol on fire below a glass
cup overlying the skin, creating a vacuum as the oxygen is gobbled up in the
chemical reaction.
Where does one go to get
cupped? A quick internet search finds
cupping to be quite common in Asheville - and I thought the multiple red circles seen on
everyone’s back were just strange tattoos.
It just so happens that my wife’s favorite massage parlor, if anyone
uses that phrase anymore, offers cupping.
I schedule an appointment for one week from today. My visit is timely: my lower back continues to pain me and my
shoulder tendonitis has been acting up.
I am eager to see what cupping can do for me. If I can’t be rendered
pain-free, perhaps I can at least win Olympic gold - just one will suffice.
Next week .
. . my cupping experience.
To read more
about my alternative medicine experiences, cupping excepted, check out my book
on Amazon and consider making it a Holiday gift.
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