Brian, I clicked on the sportek link. Fascinating stuff.

And what made it even more fascinating is that this machine uses CUPPING also.

Now, I don't know if this is the same CUPPING that my italian grandmother used to do 40 years ago. Let me explain. Oh, the CUPPING used back then was to get pnemonia, bronchitis, or a simple cold, out of your lungs.

Here's what she did to me. I must have been 10 years old, with a bad congestion. My grandmother's little old lady friend came into my house and she took a candle, a clear wine glass and a quarter.

Oh, in italian, they used to call this PICCERADA. Do not ask me why, that's what they called this in my house.

So I lay on my stomach and my mother exposed my back. This little old lady took the quarter, put it in a piece of cloth, and took the lit candle, put the candle to the cloth and it went on fire, and immediately put the lit cloth containing the quarter on my back. Then she immediately put the wine class out of it. The CUPPING happened when the wine glass made a whoosh sound and pulled part of my skin up into the wine glass. Everybody stood around me going "ooh, look, the cold is leaving her lungs and coming out of her body. She did this 10 times on my back, and when she removed the wine glass, it made a popping sound. It also left rings on my back.

Well, (and I don't remember if I got better or whatever), but I DO REMEMBER what happened the next day when my mother took me to the family doctor and he decided to take his stethiscope and examine my lungs. When he raised my blouse and saw all the rings on my back, he stood back and said "what the hel* are these rings all over Melody's back??" My mother proceeded to explain that this was the italian way to take a cold out of the body.

That doctor gave it in spades to my mother. He made her promise (and I will never forget his words). "Please, no more voodoo"

So I have no idea if the CUPPING that is mentioned in this TENS UNIT thing, is what they are talking about. But boy, did it bring back memories.

Melody