But never before has the source of the heat actually been fire - one of the five natural elements on which traditional Chinese medicine is based. The treatment, which lasts for about 90 minutes, begins with a body scrub and a spa bath, followed by a painful massage in which the fatty area is pummeled and kneaded like bread dough. Next the skin is basted with a thin mud-like solution - a concoction of Chinese medicinal herbs.
The area is then wrapped in a cellophane wrap, covered with two wet towels and doused with alcohol and set alight. The patients are told to put up with the flames till it becomes unbearable. The longer a patient endures the treatment, the better will be the results, according to spa sources. The results of the treatment are yet to be proved scientifically.
Edited (IANS)