During the ongoing Paris Olympics, some viewers noticed that Yang Jiayu, who won the gold medal in the women's 20-kilometer race walk at the Paris 2024 Olympics, used navel stickers during her competition. People called it the "mystical Eastern power". Yang explained that since athletes wear short clothing, the navel stickers help protect her belly button from exposure to cold water or wind during the race.
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), using navel stickers is similar in principle to covering the belly button while sleeping. Wu Juan, an acupuncturist at the Affiliated TCM Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, explains that the navel is a remnant of the umbilical cord from birth and is the last part of the abdominal wall to close during fetal development. Compared to other areas of the skin, the navel is more sensitive because it lacks subcutaneous fat, bone, and strong muscle protection, making it more susceptible to external stimuli.
In TCM, the navel is considered the Shenque acupoint, an important point for health. Methods such as moxibustion, massage, and applying patches here can be beneficial for improving symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal pain, and pain around the navel.
"Navel stickers are suitable for individuals with spleen and stomach deficiencies, cold and damp constitutions, menstrual pain due to cold, and those who are prone to having cold hands and feet with a hot upper body and cold lower body. Besides, it's also beneficial for those with weak constitutions and poor resistance," Wu said.
In addition to navel stickers, cupping therapy is also a familiar sight on the Olympic stage. During the men's 4×100m medley relay final, the cupping marks on the backs of Chinese swimmers were quite noticeable. This isn't the first time cupping has appeared at the Olympics.
Cupping marks were notably seen with swimmer Michael Phelps at the Rio 2016 Olympics and again with swimmers in 2021.
Why do swimmers favor cupping so much? Wu explains that cupping creates a negative pressure on the skin, which helps athletes regulate their Qiand blood, eliminate dampness and cold, relieve muscle fatigue, and restore their physical condition.
Besides navel stickers and cupping, TCM techniques such as massage and acupuncture are also widely used in sports care and rehabilitation to support Olympic athletes.
Wu emphasizes that while TCM techniques are broadly applicable, the best results are achieved with guidance and supervision from qualified TCM practitioners to avoid adverse effects from self-administered treatments.
Source | Yangcheng Evening News
