NEW YORK — American swimmer Michael Phelps brought home yet another Olympic gold medal, but the world’s attention has been focused on the mysterious red, bruise marks on his body. <br /> <br />The marks were made by cupping therapy, a traditional Chinese medicine treatment. Cupping therapy can be performed by placing a burning cotton bud inside a glass cup, which creates a vacuum inside. Or, the air inside the cups can be sucked out by a suction device. <br /> <br />The cups are usually left on the body for up to 10 minutes, making the skin red and swollen with a circular mark. This expands the capillaries and draw blood to the cupped areas. The therapy is believed to reduce soreness and help heal overworked muscles.
