This week in Sports Council we went over cupping therapy. Cupping is a modality from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and has been practiced for over 3,000 years. It has gained attention recently because of the Olympics. Michael Phelps was seen with large circular bruises on his back and many people were wondering what happened to him. The bruises are from superficial profusion due to cups that were suctioned to his back.

According to An Updated Review of the Efficacy of Cupping Therapy, “Meta-analysis showed cupping therapy combined with other TCM treatments was significantly superior to other treatments alone in increasing the number of cured patients with herpes zoster, facial paralysis, acne, and cervical spondylosis. No serious adverse effects were reported in the trials.”

It is also an efficacious treatment for neck and shoulder pain according to The Effectiveness of Cupping Therapy on Relieving Chronic Neck and Shoulder Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Though many articles show it is effective, there are still many detractors. I think if it is good enough for the greatest Olympic swimmer to ever live, it is good enough for my future patients. After briefly discussing the different types of applications such as dry vs. wet cupping, we broke off into groups and practiced on one another.

Over the weekend my soccer team and I went on a Pedal Pub tour in downtown St. Petersburg. We met at Urban Brew and BBQ for lunch then walked to the meeting place for the Pedal Pub. The Pedal Pub is a bar on wheels and is powered by the riders who have to pedal. It is “bring your own beer” for the pub on wheels. We ride around St. Pete taking in the art murals on the way to some of St. Pete’s favorite local bars. We started at Three Daughter’s Brewery where we played some ping-pong and corn hole. Then we went to Urban Comfort Restaurant and Brewery and played shuffleboard. We finished our tour at Dog Bar, a local hangout with a dog park and bar in one. Four players on my soccer have birthdays in February, including me. This Pedal Pub tour was our way of celebrating as a team and it was a great way to spend a beautiful February afternoon.

On Presidents’ Day, we had the day off from school and I spent it with my friends from NUHS. We met at Madeira Beach for a well-deserved beach day. We bought smoothies and lunch at a nearby restaurant and then set up some beach chairs and soaked in the sun. The water was perfect. It was clear, refreshing, but not too cold. We played beach volleyball with a few people we met at the beach and finished up the day by throwing the Frisbee. The exercise and vitamin D was exactly what the doctor ordered. I had a great Presidents’ Day weekend, which is exactly what I needed with midterm exams around the corner.

That is all for this week!

If you have any questions, please email me at [email protected].