How celebrities are driving TCM’s boom in the West and the treatments people seek

Stars from Ariana Grande to Tom Brady are helping traditional Chinese medicine treatments like cupping and acupuncture soar in popularity

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Ex-One Direction band member Zayn Malik praises Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa, a Chinese herbal syrup, as an “elixir” for his voice in an interview with British Vogue in June 2024. Photo: SCMP composite/YouTube (@British Vogue)/Ninjiom.com

Published: 7:45am, 28 Dec 2024Updated: 8:15am, 28 Dec 2024

This series is based on our reporting on TCM: its history, treatments and growing acceptance around the world. This is the third instalment.

When photos emerged of Gwyneth Paltrow attending a New York film premiere in 2004 with her back covered in circular purplish bruises, eyebrows were raised.

The actress and founder of wellness brand Goop revealed that she was a fan of cupping: the ancient Chinese healing tradition that involves using cups and heat to draw blood to the surface of the body to stimulate the flow of the vital energy known as qi. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) was thrust into the spotlight.

In the two decades since then, Western pop culture icons have embraced TCM’s many treatment methods – from herbal medicine and acupuncture to gua sha to moxibustion.

US Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps is a proponent of cupping. Retired NFL champion quarterback Tom Brady credits acupuncture for improving his muscle pliability.

Brady’s ex-wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, is an ardent fan of lion’s mane mushrooms – long used in TCM to promote healthy digestion, among other things.

An HBO documentary about tennis ace Serena Williams features her having both cupping and acupuncture sessions.