Cupping is the latest therapy fad to draw attention at the Olympics

If you’re following the Olympics, you’ve probably noticed the buzz around "cupping" after Michael Phelps and US gymnast Alex Naddour performed in Rio. The two athletes sported big red dots on their skin and social media exploded with viewers wondering what those remarkably large, round hickeys are.

It turns out they’re marks left by an ancient Chinese healing technique that uses suction cups to relieve pain, but has limited scientific evidence to back it up. A 2012 review said that cupping therapy can potentially help treat shingles, but it also said that the reviewed studies generally were of "low methodological quality" and more research is needed. Despite that, athletes who use the alternative therapy swear by it. ("That’s been the...