Dwayne Johnson tries cupping therapy for the first time: ‘Looks more gnarly than it feels’

The Rock treats his body like a temple.

Dwayne Johnson recently tried out the ancient Chinese body work technique of cupping for the first time and shared the dramatic results to his 220million Instagram followers on Tuesday.

The 48-year-old megastar who is arguably in incredible shape joked that he is ‘Always looking for new techniques to keep this 250million year old dinosaur body balanced and optimal.’

‘First time cupper over here,’ the Ballers star penned in an Instagram caption.

Johnson snapped a mirror selfie of his back which showed a series of deep red and purple round cup marks. In the foreground of the photo half of the actors face looked into the camera with a shocked expression.

The star made sure to clarify for fans that appearances can be deceiving and the technique was actually quite enjoyable.

‘Looks more gnarly than it feels, but over all I enjoyed the therapy,’ he wrote to his fans. ‘Always looking for new techniques to keep this 250million year old dinosaur body balanced and optimal with not only all my past injuries but my daily grinding family/work/training/repeat schedule.’

‘It all takes it toll, so being proactive is critical,’ Johnson added. ‘We only get one body, so we gotta take care of it.’

The Rock, who was the highest paid actor in 2020, has certainly put his body through the ringer past during his time as a professional WWE wrestler.

The cupping therapy that he is trying now is an ancient Eastern medicine technique that is said to help decrease pain and inflammation, increase blood flow, reduce stress and even help things like skin issues or cellulite, though research is scant.

According to the the NIH: ‘It involves creating suction on the skin using a glass, ceramic, bamboo, or plastic cup. Negative pressure is created in the cup either by applying a flame to the cup to remove oxygen before placing it on the skin or by attaching a suction device to the cup after it is placed on the skin.’

Many celebrities and professional athletes have embraced the technique. Perhaps most famously, Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, showed up at the Olympic games sporting a back and shoulders full of cup marks.

Cupping is the latest modality that The Rock has tried in order to heal a litany of old injuries from his wrestling and football days.

Last month he flashed a butt cheek on social media during an electro-acupuncture therapy session which is where acupuncture needles are hooked up to pulsing electrodes to stimulate the points.

‘Even though I look like a wounded, passed out drunk buffalo laying face down in prairies – can’t tell ya how grateful I am for these quiet healing/recovery moments,’ he gushed, before telling his followers where his ‘fun pain’ came from.

He rattled off: ‘4 knee surgeries Torn quadricep off my pelvis Torn adductor off my pelvis Triple hernia surgery Ruptured Achilles’ tendon Completely shoulder reconstruction 3 low back disc herniations 2 low back disc ruptures.’