For those who have enjoyed the Golden State Warriors’ amazing defeat of the Cleveland   Cavaliers, Stephen Curry in action is a sight to behold. He is a phenomenal shooter, is quick, self-assured and graceful as he moves up and down the court, making him one of the top fan favorites. Not only that, he’s the second strongest player on the Warriors team, being able to deadlift 400 pounds.Curry, like other professional and non-professional athletes who enjoy sports and occasionally become injury while engaged in activities, may have turned to Chinese Medicine to heal his injuries.

A recent picture taken of Curry’s shoulder suggests that he may have used a Chinese medicine modality called cupping to recover from an injury, as seen by cupping marks on his shoulder from his severe fall while playing against the Memphis Grizzlies in a playoff game. According to John Kokko, LAc., the Warriors officially hired two acupuncturists that traveled with the team to keep players bodies strong and in top competitive shape. Curry may have turned to these acupuncturists to speed up the healing process.

Cupping and acupuncture can break up adhesions and reduce inflammation that occurs when the body is injured. It transforms stagnation, increases the circulation of qi (energy) and blood and puts in effect a cascade of healing reactions that heal injured tissue, helping to bring function back to the body. Since Curry is smart on and off the court, it is assumed that he would use this time-proven modality to heal faster in order to go on to win the NBA Championship.