Thousands of years ago, medical practitioners realised that or poor circulation is the cause of various ailments ranging from headaches and muscle pain to premature ageing.

For centuries, revolutionary treatments have been used to get to the root of these conditions. Acupuncture is a very popular and well known option, but if the thought of needles makes you run for the hills, you might like the idea of cupping.

Cupping, made very popular by photos of Gwyneth Paltrow sporting large purple bruises, is in essence a suction technique used to bring blood and lymphatic fluid to the skin surface whereby a practitioner slides glass cups over affected parts of the body. This helps the body to excrete toxins, improve circulation and thus eliminate stagnation. The downside is the unsightly red and purple circular marks that can last several days.

Western spas have avoided cupping for this reason, but it seems, we've been missing out. Keren Trabelski, owner of Suntra spa in Cape Town, explained that no matter how good the results, the average consumer is way too image conscious to go for a treatment that leaves such unsightly marks ? no matter how good the results may be.

Enter the Bellabaci Massage ? a technique that fuses the ancient art of cupping with modern technology. It is less radical in approach and does not have a fraction of the side-effects, but works on the same principle, and is thus just as effective.

The difference?

Bellabaci cups are made of medical grade silicone instead of glass. Silicone is more flexible, hence less bruising. The cups are applied to create gentle suction which brings blood to the skin surface, providing tissue with oxygen and nutrients.

The procedure

I gave the Bellabaci treatment a try. My therapist at at Suntra spa, Chantel Booysens, took me into the treatment room and gave me my undressing instructions. The treatment started with me lying face down, and the massage started on my back.

Massage movements combined with the draining techniques proved way more relaxing than I anticipated. It was never painful and if you ever experience discomfort, your therapist can reduce the amount of suction within seconds.

From my back the treatment proceeded to my legs, after which I turned over and the front of my legs and arms were treated. By this time I was drifting off, trying very hard to act alert but failing miserably.

The treatment lasted about 75 minutes, and the entire experience was very relaxing and comfortable and felt like a massage, not a detoxifying and wellbeing treatment. My therapist gets a big thumbs up for uncovering body parts very discreetly, and the environment wins bonus points for being warm and tranquil on a rainy winter's day.

The day after

I had one red mark on my back, which had vanished by the next evening. I did have a slight detox headache ? if you do not lead a particularly healthy lifestyle which I had not in the weeks leading up to my treatment, this might happen. Counteract possible detox symptoms with plenty of fluids, preferably about a litre of water after your treatment. Also, don't eat a heavy meal or consume alcohol four hours before or after your massage, as with any body treatment.

Effects

The massage leads to a 300 percent improvement in lymphatic flow for eight to 12 hours after the treatment. This greatly improves conditions like inflammation, sprains, strains, muscle fatigue, joint pain, digestive problems, scar tissue, stretch marks, cellulite, headaches and many more.

According to Keren, the effects on stretch marks and cellulite is bound to get women very excited. The improved circulation caused by the suction also increases collagen and elastin production which vastly improves skin texture, and is also great for premature ageing.

The Bellabaci massage has now been patented in South Africa. For more information you can call Natasha Adendorf on 021 448 5941.

To book a treatment at Suntra spa, phone 021 439 2266.