Is Gwyneth in a spot of bother?

Last updated at 12:02 09 July 2004


Giant measles? A tropical illness? Or, is it just another publicity stunt?

Gwyneth Paltrow set tongues wagging when she appeared at a film screening sporting a series of circular brown marks on her back.

But the mystery was cleared up far quicker than the blotches when her managers felt compelled by a media frenzy to release a statement.

"It was acupuncture treatment," it read.

"She wasn't being treated for anything. It's a common procedure for her."

The 2in rings on the 31-year-old's body were caused by a process called cupping, explained Persis Tamboly, of the British Acupuncture Council.

"A vacuum is created inside a cup by inserting a flame, removing it and quickly placing the cup on to the body, usually the back, before the vacuum is lost," she said.

"The suction then anchors the cup to the body and the skin covered is drawn up into it for a few millimetres.

"The cups are left on the body while the area beneath is treated and the energy, or qi, is moved. Mild reddening is common, however this disappears after a few days."

Oscar-winner Paltrow, who was at a screening of Anchorman in New York, is known to rave about the treatment, practised in the Far East for 2,500 years.

The Shakespeare In Love and Sylvia actress has credited it with helping her to find 'Mr Right' in the form of Coldplay singer Chris Martin, 27, whom she married in December.

It also helped her cope with the death of her father, Bruce.

Other celebrity devotees include Geri Halliwell and Kate Moss.

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