RAVENSWOOD — Swimmer Michael Phelps is making waves at the Rio Olympics, not for the medals around his neck but because of the weird purplish circles on his back.
The marks are the result of "cupping," an ancient technique that's been used for thousands of years, often in tandem with acupuncture, to treat pain.
So, the U.S. swim team is a little late getting to the party.
Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie and Lena Dunham swear by the treatment, but it's also readily available to average Chicagoans at alternative medicine centers across the city.
The after effects of the procedure have been broadcast to a global audience — those telltale circles are hard to disguise courtesy of swimmers' barely-there suits — but what's it like to get cupped? And what exactly does cupping do?
"There's nothing to be afraid of," said Katherine Molitor, who runs Sangha Community Acupuncture in Ravenswood, 1828 W. Wilson Ave.
Molitor pulled out two sets of cups — one plastic, one glass — consisting of vessels of varying sizes. Larger cups are used on bigger body parts — backs, glutes, thighs — and smaller cups on areas like the neck.
Plastic cups are applied to the skin using what we can only describe as a "plunger-gun," which produces suction.
The process is even stranger for glass cups.
To demonstrate, Molitor held a cotton ball with a pair of tongs, lit the swab on fire, placed the flame inside the cup, pulled it out and set the smoking cup on her arm.
Regardless of the method used, the point is to arrange cups on and around a sore area, create a vacuum that tugs on the underlying tissue, and bring "blockage" and "toxins" to the surface.
In more physiological terms, "We're taking carbon dioxide out of the muscle and replacing it with fresh oxygen," Molitor explained. "We're restoring and revitalizing proper blood flow" and getting rid of "stagnation."
Cups remain in place for approximately 10 minutes. Licensed acupuncturists such as Molitor are trained to analyze the color of the cupped skin: a pinkish-reddish color might indicate a recent stress on the muscle; a dark purple-blackish color might indicate an issue deep within the tissue; and no coloring might suggest that a person's aches and pains aren't muscular in nature at all.
Let's cut to the chase — does cupping hurt?
Though actresses may show off their cupping marks "like a badge of courage," Molitor compared the actual sensation to a "pinch."
This reporter volunteered her calf muscle, which the acupuncturist "shot" with the "plunger-gun." There was a definite yank, but not much more.
Molitor said she advises her clients, "If it's too much, tell me. We'll take it off."
Who's a good candidate for cupping?
Pretty much anyone with aches or pains, from shoulder and back pain (the most common complaint) to headaches.
The technique can also be used to treat asthma or a nagging cough, but is not recommended for fevers or for anyone with a skin or blood condition.
To skeptics, Molitor has a simple response: "I say, 'Try it and see.'"
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