Micheal Olunga of Harambee Stars is a player to watch due to his goal-scoring ability and his role in Al Duhail’s recent league victory.
This time, Olunga made headlines not for his sportsmanship, but for his cupping recovery technique.
Olunga went for recovery therapy just a day after their game and posted a picture on social media that stunned Kenyans.
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Cupping therapy is a process that involves applying heated cups to the skin for a few minutes in order to create suction. Olunga used it in this context as a form of relaxation; it also aids in blood circulation and deep tissue massage.
Quick question: what do you do to relieve back pain or simply relax your body?
Olunga’s Facebook post elicited a variety of responses, with some wishing him a speedy recovery. It’s not that Olunga was injured; it’s just part of the recovery process after a long league game, which is the same for every football team around the world.
Because many would be led to believe that the prolific striker had been injured, a few fans who understood the process informed others.
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Olunga stated that dry cupping therapy, which involves placing cups on the skin to create suction, is beneficial for people who sit for long periods of time.
“I would recommend this recovery session. If you seat for long hours or work long hours or extremely intense exercises,” Olunga noted.
Its procedure begins with an antiseptic being applied to one’s back before the oil is applied to relax the muscles. Before being placed on the back, a ball of cotton soaked in surgical spirit is lit to help suck off the air in the special cups.
The cups are left on the body for about 10 minutes, assisting blood circulation and stimulating the nerves surrounding the spinal cord.
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After 10 minutes, the cups are removed, leaving painless marks on the body that aid in the identification of affected areas.
Dry Cupping therapy, which originated in China, is one of the oldest methods of traditional medicine.
According to Premier, Wet cupping is a variation of the procedure where prior to the cup being placed, your skin is punctured and blood is drawn out in the suction process. There is also a variation where the dry cupping technique is done before puncturing your skin for wet cupping.
In both cases, cupping leaves round bruises on your skin which will clear up in around 10 days.
