Popular Kerala-based hepatologist Dr Cyriac Abby Philips – known as the Liver Doc on social media- has caused a stir by publicly criticising cupping therapy - a recovery practice popular among elite athletes and cricketers, including Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami. In a sharply worded post, Dr. Philips described cupping -particularly wet cupping, which is also known as hijama- as “unscientific, dangerous nonsense,” warning that the trend is being mistaken for legitimate medical treatment.
Dr. Philips' post featured a series of images showing the aftermath of wet cupping, where small incisions are made on your skin, and suction is applied to draw out 'toxic' blood.
Cupping therapy is an ancient alternative treatment in which suction cups are placed on the skin. Practitioners make small incisions to draw out blood that is claimed to contain toxins. The therapy has gained visibility in recent years, especially in sports. Red circular marks on athletes’ backs, once seen during global sporting events, sparked curiosity and imitation.
But according to Dr. Philips, the science simply does not support the claims.
Dr. Philips argued there is no physiological basis for the idea that “bad blood” needs to be removed manually. “The skin is not a filter for toxins — that is the job of your liver and kidneys,” he wrote on Instagram. “Cutting the skin to suck out blood is not detoxification. It is a recipe for infection, scarring, and severe skin damage.”
He also emphasised that the body already has highly efficient detox systems - primarily the liver and kidneys - that do not require external intervention. “Instead of relying on the dramatic and damaging rituals promoted by sports stars, we should understand that our own liver and kidneys are already the world's best detox machines, meaning it is far safer and more effective to trust evidence-based physiotherapy and rest rather than the superstitious trend of injuring the skin to heal the body,” wrote Dr. Philips.
Dr. Philips has outlined various medical risks associated with cupping therapy, which include:
Dr Philips added that 'since 2017, cupping has become a massive trend within the Indian Premier League (IPL) dressing rooms', blaming top cricketers, such as Virat Kohli, for seemingly 'spreading' the trend. Giving Mohammed Shami's example, Dr. Philips said, "The Indian fast bowler is one of the most famous examples of an Indian athlete promoting this practice. The incident: During the 2020 IPL in Dubai, Shami shared a photo on social media showing his back covered in cupping bruises and blood (wet cupping/hijama)." Slamming 'the irrational endorsement', he added, "He captioned it as a way to keep his body 'up to the mark'."
Mohammad Shami's 2020 social media post on cupping
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