Cupping, the Rio Olympics Health Trend, Can Do More Harm Than Good

Several days ago, when the Rio Olympics began hitting their stride, many athletes, including champion swimmer Michael Phelps, were sporting a unique look: Their muscled shoulders were spattered with, well, what? Giant purple chicken pox? Alien hickeys? Soon enough, however, the marks were demystified: They were evidence of cupping, a therapy that involves placing suction cups on the skin, then using the suction to pull the skin up off the muscles (not unlike the pressure caused by giving someone a hickey.)