Football player Luka Modrić recently showed fat on his back, which many attributed to vacuum cup therapy. It is also called hijama or cupping, and it is a method that has been particularly popular among athletes in the last six years, since it was discovered that the best swimmer of all time, Michael Phelps, also uses it. Among the first to bring the method to Croatia was Dr. Mehran Shafie, who also founded the Cupping Center in Zagreb, and he is a traumatologist and orthopedist who devoted himself completely to cupping. - Cupping is actually an ancient treatment technique in which the therapist places special cups on the patient's skin, in precisely defined areas, which suck the skin with the help of a vacuum. In this way, the separation of the skin from the subcutaneous tissue is achieved and the blood supply to the skin and all subcutaneous structures under the cup is increased. After an exact degree of suction pressure and application duration, according to the patient's individual response, the vacuum is released, Dr. Shafie explains, adding that there are three techniques, namely dry, wet and sliding cupping. – The cups used are bell-shaped with a valve on top, on which air is sucked with the help of a pump. Throughout history, they used to use ordinary glasses, which were heated so that air would come out of them, this is called warm cupping. And even older historical remains testify that this procedure was carried out with the help of animal horns, which were applied to the skin, air was sucked through the hole at the top and then the hole was closed - Dr. Shafie explained.