Remember when Gwyneth Paltrow showed up to a red carpet event with bruise-colored circles on her back? No, they were not octopus kisses (I know that's what you were thinking). These markings are from an ancient Chinese therapy called cupping.
A cotton ball is soaked in 90 proof alcohol, lit on fire, placed inside the glass cup, and then quickly removed to create a vacuum-like suction. The cup is then placed on an area of the body such as the back, stomach, or shoulder. I use cupping on my patients to promote blood flow and circulation, remove toxins from the body, and relieve pain. Cupping is useful for many ailments such as the common cold, asthma, hives, shoulder and back pain, to name a few.
Recently, Gwyneth Paltrow began a weekly newsletter called
GOOP where she shares healthy recipes, favorite travel destinations, books to read, among many other useful tidbits. Check out this
installment where she talks about acupuncture and Chinese medicine! Thank you Gwyneth!
