Indigenous Medicine– From Illegal to Integral

Phuoc Le
Phuoc Le
Nov 7 · 4 min read
Image of Michael Phelps swimming in 2016 Rio Olympics after using TCM cupping. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

In the 2020 Summer Olympics, we will undoubtedly see large, red circles down the arms and backs of many Olympians. These spots are a side-effect of cupping, a treatment originating from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to reduce pain. TCM is a globally used Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), but it still battles its critics who think it is only a belief system, rather than a legitimate medical…

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Phuoc Le

Written by

Phuoc Le

Dr. Le is a physician and associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco. He is the co-founder of Arc Health Justice.

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