08/18/2026
Those circular marks you've seen on professional athletes? That's cupping — and there's a very good reason the best in the world swear by it.
Cupping therapy uses specialized cups placed on the skin to create suction — pulling the underlying muscle tissue upward, increasing blood flow, and releasing deep fascial restrictions that compression-based therapies simply can't reach.
Think of it as the opposite of a massage.
Instead of pressing down into the tissue, cupping lifts it — decompressing layers of muscle and fascia, breaking up adhesions, and flooding the area with fresh, oxygen-rich blood that accelerates the body's natural healing process.
For athletes it means:
→ Faster muscle recovery between training sessions and competitions
→ Reduced soreness from intense or repetitive physical output
→ Improved mobility in restricted areas holding back performance
→ Decreased inflammation in overworked muscle groups
And those circular marks? They're not only bruises. They're a roadmap of where your body was holding the most tension — and evidence that the tissue is finally getting the circulation it needed.
At Precision Spine & Sport, Dr. Trevor Inman uses cupping as part of a fully personalized treatment plan — combining it with the right therapies to help you recover faster, move better, and perform at your best.