Yanxi Palace actress suffers severe burns after cupping therapy goes wrong

Cupping therapy may have its share of high-profile celebrity fans who swear by it but the alternative medical practice can sometimes end up doing more harm than good.

Chinese actress Deng Sha recently highlighted just how dangerous the treatment can be when she took to Weibo on Dec 14 to share pictures of the horrific burns that she had sustained after a session at a Beijing spa.

The 34-year-old, who has appeared in dramas Destiny's Love and Story of Yanxi Palace, wrote: "I got burnt from fire cupping. Maybe you guys don't know what burns from fire cupping look like. As my pictures below show, it can be this serious."

With fire cupping, the therapist sweeps a flame around a glass cup, then places the cup onto the body to create suction.

One photo showed Deng's raw, peeling skin and several large blisters. Another picture showed Deng with her torso and arm bandaged. 

Deng had decided to go for a massage and cupping treatment on Dec 9 as she had felt unwell after travelling for work, she said.

But instead of helping her feel better, the session left her with second-degree burns on her back and right arm, according to a doctor's note that she shared.

It is not known how the burns occurred.

Some parts of Deng's wounds will leave scars but it is possible to reduce the scarring with proper care, her doctor reportedly said.

Deng also advised fans to tie long hair up during cupping so that it doesn't catch fire and shared some tips on dealing with burns.

The treatment sometimes involves placing a flammable substance such as alcohol into the cup and setting it on fire.

If the alcohol gets onto your body and catches fire, put it out by covering it with a wet cloth and run cool water over the burn as soon as you can, she said.

Similar injuries have resulted in the past from improper practices at massage parlours and TCM establishments.

In 2016, one man in China reported "black holes" on his back after cupping. The blackened patches of skin were a result of an infection that had set in after his blisters had popped.

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The man had been advised by a staff member at a massage parlour to go for cupping therapy daily to improve his health.

Another case of the treatment gone wrong in 2014 left a man in Singapore with severe blisters and a high fever.

With the risk of burns and blisters, why do people still go for it?

According to WebMD, cupping therapy has been used for thousands of years in Egyptian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern cultures and is said to help with pain, inflammation, blood flow and relaxation.

Some athletes also use it to aid muscle recovery, a practice which gained global attention after swimmer Michael Phelps stepped out at the 2016 Olympics sporting the telltale round bruises on his back and arms. 

But how it helps — and if it's a placebo effect — still remains unclear.

While studies have been conducted on cupping therapy, the evidence on its effectiveness has been less than conclusive.

It's also not for everybody. Those with certain skin conditions such as eczema should avoid the treatment, skin specialist Dr Eileen Tan of Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital told AsiaOne previously.

The practice has certain risks and should only be performed by a qualified Chinese medical practitioner, she said.

kimberlylim@asiaone.com