The trendy massage that gave Justin Bieber a 'hickey' - New York Post

[massage]

Does Bieber have a hickey?

That’s what stunned fans wondered when the singer stepped out in public with red marks on his neck that looked like he’d been the object of someone’s lust.

But nope, they were just a result of an increasingly popular massage therapy called the Graston Technique, Bieber explained on Instagram.

Developed by athlete David Graston to deal with skiing injuries, the technique has been around since the mid-’90s, but has been gaining popularity in recent years as people seek out new forms of pain and muscle treatments. It’s a kind of targeted deep-tissue massage that uses six beveled stainless-steel tools to work through soft-tissue injuries on the limbs, neck and back by increasing blood flow in those areas.

“You can break up adhesions and scar tissue. It’s used in sports therapy, in conjunction with stretches and exercise,” says Dr. Aaron Schuman of the Center for Spine Care + Mobility. “It’s not the most comfortable process to go through,” adds Schuman, who nonetheless classifies it as “that good hurt.”

And yes, it can cause leave tell-tale signs, much like the circular marks seen on Gwyneth Paltrow in 2004 due to “cupping,” a Chinese suction therapy said to increase energy flow.

But unlike that New Age-y treatment, most insurance companies cover the Graston Technique, which is used at more than 2,700 outpatient facilities and by more than 384 professional and amateur sports teams.

It makes sense Bieber would seek out the treatment: Singers and dancers are common patients, Schuman says, thanks to their intense stage routines. “[If] you do repetitive motions over and over again, you’re going to get fibrous, tight tissues in certain areas,” he says.

More people are seeking it out lately, as celebrities such as Michael Phelps and Bieber tout it.

“It’s kind of grass-roots and word of mouth,” Schuman says. “If a therapy works, people talk about it.”

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