Gwyneth Paltrow caused quite a stir at a New York film screening this week, when she arrived with a series of circular blotches across her back. The 31-year-old, who wore a low-cut black top to the bash, seemed intent on allowing the waiting photographers to get a full view of the strange marks.
But fans who feared the star had developed some rare skin condition needn't have worried, because the mystery over the bizarre spots has been cleared up. Gwyn was left with the blotches after undergoing an ancient Chinese healing treatment called "cupping".
The procedure involves placing glass cups over specific points on the back and then heating them to create a vacuum. Devotees of the therapy say it unblocks lymph nodes along the spine, which in turn helps the body to work more efficiently.
While medical opinion about the merits of cupping remains divided, Gwyneth and her British husband Chris Martin are fervent believers in several new age therapies. The teetotal couple, who stick to a strict macrobiotic diet, also underwent ante-natal yoga classes when Gwyn was pregnant with their baby, Apple.
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