The summer games have created a lot of buzz and questions about the ancient alternative medicine practice of cupping and acupuncture.

After seeing large purple and red circles on Michael Phelps as he stepped onto the platform to begin his race, the question became 'what are those marks?'

The answer is bruises caused from cupping. The practice of cupping goes all the way back to 3000 BC, where there are documents that have shown Egyptians using traditional cupping techniques.

Cupping involves using heated or cooled glass cups or a cup with a manual vacuum to draw out the air and pull the skin into the cup.

Stacey King, Owner and Operator of A Fine Balance Health Care, said that cupping is almost like the reverse of a massage that helps to release toxins.

"The suctions, they suction up, so they suck out the toxins from in the body, in the muscle, and bring it up to the surface of the body where it can be released easier."

King said that for athletes especially, cupping can be very beneficial due to the muscles being heavily worked and being prone to injury.

"Getting that new blood flow right to the area helps prevent injury by keeping the muscles nice and relaxed."

For day to day life, King said that she see's many people who suffer from back pain, which is super prone to injury, and cupping can help to prevent and treat those muscle aches.

With the skin being pulled up into the cups it does create a bruise that can last up to 2 weeks, but King said they do not hurt like a traditional bruise would.

"They slowly start fading after a couple days, changing colours. They are bruises so they last as long as a typical bruise will last."