Posted on 07/10/2004 12:38:30 PM PDT by Stoat
Medical science has come a long way in the 400 years since William Harvey discovered the circulation of the blood. Anaesthetics, an appreciation of the importance of clean water, penicillin and cracking the human genome are but a few of its more notable achievements. So why has Gwyneth Paltrow turned the clock back 5,000 years to the ancient Chinese to find relief for her physical ailments?
The actress caused a stir this week when she turned up at a New York film premiere wearing a low-cut black dress and sporting what appeared to be a row of circles on her back. The large, round red weals were in fact marks caused by an alternative therapy known as "cupping".
Variously described as a "form of acupuncture" or "middle-class leeching", it involves placing a heated (preferably, thick) glass cup upside down on the skin. As the air inside the cup cools, it creates a vacuum and, so the theory goes, stimulates blood flow and sucks the "toxins" out of the body.
The treatment is believed to have originated in China and was brought to Europe by the Jesuits in the 13th or 14th century.
It is credited with everything from relieving aches and pains to - in Paltrow's case - helping her find love with her husband, the Coldplay singer Chris Martin.
When in London, Paltrow is treated by Nish Joshi, who has been described as "the super-immunity man to the stars".
Mr Joshi, whose clients also include Cate Blanchett, Ralph Fiennes and Kate Moss, runs a clinic near Harley Street in central London. He offers a range of alternative treatments including acupuncture, homeopathy and Ayurvedic medicine - in which pulse and tongue diagnosis are used "to assist in the herbal treatment of medical conditions without the side-effects of modern medicine".
According to Mr Joshi, "cupping" works by "drawing toxins trapped in the tissues and lymphatic channels into the blood stream" and thereby gives "a kick-start to getting the toxins in our bodies moving".
Used in conjunction with herbal supplements, he promises "dramatic" results, including "freedom from bloating, constipation and lethargy". Cupping sesssions of 30 to 40 minutes at the clinic cost £75 to £90. How many sessions are needed depends on Mr Joshi's assessment.
Arabella Weir, the author and actress, underwent a series of "cupping" treatments at the Joshi Clinic earlier this year as part of a New Year's "detox" programme.
"It feels like twenty 14-year-old boys giving you love bites, but not as much fun," she said yesterday.
"I wouldn't describe it as painful - but then, I've given birth twice - but it is uncomfortable."
But did she feel cleansed? "I had three or four sessions and I didn't feel any different - apart from the fact that I wore a burkha for two weeks afterwards. Why would anyone parade around in a backless dress?
"To be honest, it was comic. As my husband, who is a surgeon, pointed out when I got home: 'Isn't it just a little too convenient that all those toxins are congregated at the top of your skin, just where the cups are?'
"It's just a posh version of leeching - and a damned expensive one at that. I'd rather spend the money on a personal trainer than this hippy claptrap."
Prof Edzard Ernst, the director of the department of complementary medicine at the University of Exeter, also dismisses "cupping".
"It's been around for thousands of years but there's no evidence it works," he said.
"For a start, I'd like them to define what these toxins are in our bodies that are supposed to be poisoning us?
"In any case, we already have a number of organs that detoxify the body. They're called the liver and kidneys, and they're pretty good at it."
I once heard second hand from a cult guru that the best technique was to combine their message with getting the kids off junk food, on an exersize regime and onto healthy food, and then they would think that you cured them of their problems through your powers.
Sounds like there's a lot of truth to that - Louis Farrakhan does much the same thing at the spiritual level.
"Sounds like there's a lot of truth to that - Louis Farrakhan does much the same thing at the spiritual level."
ROTFLMAO!! @ Calypso Louie reference :-)
He's still around, isn't he? Wouldn't the fact that he hasn't been assassinated yet and he's still a multimillionaire suggest to him that the white man is not quite as evil as he suggests?
Oh well, if we're going to be listing obvious contradictions from Leftist race-baiting hysterics we'd have to chop down the ENTIRE rainforest to make enough paper :-)
If the Evil Ice People didn't exist, Crazy Louie would have to invent them.
Oh well, if we're going to be listing obvious contradictions from Leftist race-baiting hysterics we'd have to chop down the ENTIRE rainforest to make enough paper
Sounds like a win-win scenario to me.
I saw a commercial last night for a product that is supposed to remove toxins, including heavy metals, via a pad that is stuck on the bottom of the feet. That ole’ P.T. knew a thing or two about people...
Aw geez! They will probably make millions with it, which is a terribly sad commentary on the intelligence of many people as well as how much excess cash they have.
You're quite right about P.T. Barnum, and sadly people haven't gotten any more astute since Barnum's era despite the easy availability of instant information and fact-checking.
I bet they do sell a lot...sheesh!
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