4 minute learnnew delhiFebruary 19, 2026 10:00 PM IST
Cupping remedy has been round for hundreds of years and continues for use by some athletes and well being fans for muscle restoration and ache aid. The resurgence of such practices on social media has sparked debate over whether or not they provide actual well being advantages or merely create an phantasm of well being. Therapies with out scientific assist. The controversy intensified after Dr. Kyriaku Abbey Phillips, a hepatologist in Kerala who’s extensively identified on-line as “The Liver Physician,” issued a warning in an Instagram submit.
He criticized cupping remedy, describing it as “unscientific and harmful nonsense” and urging folks to rethink what he referred to as “superstitious developments” offered as professional medication. His submit included pictures of moist cupping, the place suction is utilized after a small incision is made to attract out what some consider to be “poisonous” blood. Dr. Phillips challenged the essential premise behind this follow, saying, “The pores and skin will not be a filter for toxins. That is the job of the liver and kidneys.” He added: “Reducing the pores and skin and sucking out the blood will not be cleansing. This could result in an infection, scarring and, in some instances, extreme pores and skin injury.” He additionally raised issues about hygiene and well being security, noting that the usage of unsterile gear and insufficient aftercare may expose folks to severe infections reminiscent of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. He mentioned the highly effective suction utilized in cupping could cause hematomas, everlasting scarring and pores and skin discoloration, and if folks depend on cupping as a substitute of in search of medical care, it will probably delay correct therapy of underlying circumstances.
