Cupping

Gwyneth Paltrow attended a New York film premiere wearing a dress which revealed a number of circular wheals on her skin. These were the result of her having received a treatment known as “cupping”.

“It’s just one of the alternative medicines that I do instead of taking antibiotics...” Paltrow told Winfrey.

Cupping works by enhancing our body's healing ability. Through our meridians, energy flows to every part of our body and through every organ and tissue. There are many meridians on the back when opened these allow invigorating energy to travel the whole length of the body. It has been found that cupping is probably the best way of opening those meridians.

Cupping has also been found to be the best deep tissue massage available, it affects the body up to four inches into the tissues, causing tissues to release toxins and clear stagnation. It activates the lymphatic system, the skin and the circulation and so can improve varicose veins.

After identifying factors in a person's case history glass cups are placed on relevant zones on the skin to create a vacuum. Cupping has a reflective influence on related organs, helping to tone them and regulate their function. Cupping feels deeply warming and overall is a very relaxing treatment.

Cupping was mentioned in the collection of writings known as the Hippocratic Corpus and were practised by the Greeks in the fourth century BC.

Specific indications are many and include muscular spasms, menstrual, digestive or stomach problems, constipation, gastritis, hyperacidity, tiredness and anaemia.

Sarah is featured doing Cupping in the ‘Spa of Embarrassing Illnesses’ series screened on UKTV Style Jan’08