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Kavita Daswani

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.

Combined with ongoing and mounting coverage on social media – popular videos featuring tips from TCM practitioners can get upwards of a million views – these age-old healing methods are moving into the mainstream.
Chinese herbal medicine has been available in the US from as far back as the 19th century, but only recently has it achieved widespread acceptance.
In mid-2024, former One Direction member Zayn Malik showed British Vogue a bottle of Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa for the fashion publisher’s “In The Bag” digital series that looks at stars’ must-carry daily items.
Often referred to simply as Pei Pa Koa, the sticky black cough syrup has been produced by Hong Kong-based company Nin Jiom Medicine Manufactory since 1946, but has its roots in the early years of China’s Qing dynasty (1644-1912).
Malik said the Chinese herbal throat remedy was “ridiculously good for your vocal cords”.


In a recent video interview with a Hong Kong media outlet, cast members from the hit film Wicked – including pop star Ariana Grande, British actress and singer Cynthia Erivo, Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey, and American actor Jeff Goldblum – also sang its praises.
Bailey confessed that the syrup got him through the rigours of performing eight theatre shows a week, claiming it “makes you sound like a flute”. Erivo said “it’s the most soothing thing for singers” while Grande said she would “add it to her vocal box”.
With such endorsements, it is no surprise that the demand for TCM is rising.
The global TCM market size was estimated at US$231.3 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach US$420.7 billion by 2032, according to Business Research Insights.
In a 2022 report from information services firm Wolters Kluwer on the development of Chinese medicine in North America, it states that “the world is now in an era of the globalisation of traditional Chinese medicine”.
Five or 10 years ago, Chinese medicine really was a last resort. Over the last few years, people are much more open and would rather [try TCM] than get surgery or do anything more invasive
Dr Reuben Chen, who practises in the US state of Texas
Outside China, the report says, North America has the largest number of TCM practitioners. There are about 38,000 licenced acupuncturists in the US, most of them in New York, California and Florida. Many insurance companies now cover TCM treatments.
Practitioners say that, while acupuncture and cupping might have once been regarded as a treatment of last resort by those with health challenges, many patients today are opting to try those first – before having medication or surgery.
“Given how many influencers are now talking about Chinese medicine, it has been brought into the mind space of more people, especially the younger generation,” says Tsao-Lin Moy, an alternative and Chinese medicine expert and founder of Integrative Healing Arts in New York, who has been practising for 22 years.
“Now, you have more people saying ‘I’ve heard of this,’ and they are more open to trying things that once might have been considered ‘out there’.”

Moy’s patients come in for pain management, facial rejuvenation, weight-loss programmes or to help boost fertility.
Her patients have tried many other methods, she says, and are looking beyond the conventional Western medicine model.
“Some have been pushed to take a more holistic approach and not to just agree with Western doctors who say, ‘This is what’s wrong with you, and this is the only solution.’ People are just generally more health-conscious and deliberate in the choices they are making.”
Moy is one of a number of practitioners in the US seeing more interest in their services.
“Five or 10 years ago, Chinese medicine really was a last resort,” says Dr Reuben Chen, a doctor based outside Dallas, Texas, who uses Chinese medicine extensively in his practice.
“Over the last few years, people are much more open and would rather [try TCM] than get surgery or do anything more invasive.
“A lot of people don’t want to take [pharmaceutical] medicines any more. Especially when it comes to issues such as pain management, people are understandably more opposed than ever to taking opioids and are looking for other modalities.”

According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 108,000 people in the US died from a drug overdose in 2022, with about 82,000 of those deaths involving opioids – many of them prescribed to control pain. About 125 million opioid prescriptions were dispensed to American patients in 2023.
“I know of several medical practices that are now full-time doing traditional Chinese medicine. There is definitely a change in peoples’ approach, and a bit of a distrust towards allopathic medicine,” Chen says, referring to the practice of conventional Western medicine.
Chen often fields questions from people who are fascinated by the aspects of TCM that they see on social media – such as cupping.
Women are willing to do anything to fulfil their dream of having a child, and most of them are open to trying it
Tara Greenberg, a TCM practitioner and fertility specialist
While social media is often filled with do-it-yourself tips involving TCM treatments, including the use of cupping sets that can be purchased online, Chen advises people to be cautious of following influencers who are not trained practitioners – or without first being examined by a TCM practitioner.
“I’ve been practising for 15 years and the internet has been around that entire time, and people often ask, ‘Can I do this at home, why do I need to come in?’ The truth is that they are not going to get the results they’re looking for.
“Cupping is the least dangerous. But people should exercise caution when, for example, dealing with herbs. They make changes in the body, and shouldn’t be consumed without speaking to someone with expertise.
“Ginseng, for example, is a popular part of Chinese medicine, but there is such a thing as ginseng poisoning, and that can cause strokes.”

People struggling with fertility are increasingly turning to TCM. Tara Greenberg, a TCM practitioner and fertility specialist at Point Holistic Wellness in Costa Mesa, California, says she sees little resistance to the idea of using TCM to improve fertility.
“It’s very popular. Women are willing to do anything to fulfil their dream of having a child, and most of them are open to trying it,” she says.
“I’ve found that if women have gone through multiple rounds of IVF that have failed, adding acupuncture can increase the odds of success.
“It’s also successful for women who are trying to conceive naturally. It’s a whole world that is opening up to them.”

Ironically, Greenberg says on her Instagram account that she got into this field because she was terrified of needles as a child and “didn’t understand why anyone would pay money to lay on a table with a bunch of needles to treat anything”.
The more traction that TCM videos get online, the more people will be motivated to give it a try, she says.
“There are a lot more acupuncturists and practitioners than ever with thousands of followers. It’s amazing how much more accepted it is.”
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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

Serena Williams, who is featured having both cupping and acupuncture sessions in an HBO documentary. Photo: EPA-EFE

Tsao-Lin Moy does cupping for a client at her practice in New York. Photo: Nick Onken

Dr Reuben Chen, a doctor based outside Dallas, uses Chinese medicine extensively in his practice. Photo: Dr Reuben Chen

Traditional Chinese medicine relies on a huge range of ingredients to provide treatments. Photo: Shutterstock

Tara Greenberg, a Chinese medicine practitioner and fertility specialist in California, is seen with acupuncture needles in her face and head. Photo: Instagram/point.holisticwellness

Why traditional Chinese medicine is so special, and how it’s getting a push in Hong Kong

Chinese herbal medicine is dispensed at a pharmacy in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Chinese herbal medicine is dispensed at a pharmacy in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong, where traditional Chinese medicine is being promoted. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Hong Kong’s acting secretary for health Dr Libby Lee (centre), Chinese Medicine Development commissioner Dr Vincent Chung (right), and Chinese Medicine Practice Subcommittee chairman Chan Wing-kwong at the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Culture Festival. Photo: www.info.gov.hk

An artist’s impression of the finished Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Hospital, which is set to open in stages from 2025. It will provide predominantly TCM services, with Western medicine doctors playing a supporting role. Photo: HKBU

Traditional Chinese medicine is based on the belief that qi, the body’s vital energy, flows along meridians, or channels, in the body and keeps a person’s spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health in balance. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Mok Tik-lun, a lecturer at the School of Chinese Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Photo: CUHK

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Cupping, in which heated glass jars create suction to promote circulation and the flow of qi. Photo: Getty Images

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Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa is a sticky black cough syrup that has been produced by Hong Kong-based company Nin Jiom Medicine Manufactory since 1946. Photo: Nin Jiom Medicine Manufactory

Ariana Grande with a bottle of Pei Pa Koa. Photo: YouTube

A bottle of Pei Pa Koa. Photo: Antony Dickson

Henry Li uses Pei Pa Koa to make his Herbal Harmony cocktail. Photo: Mongkok Tea House

A bartender at Jade & Clover uses Pei Pa Koa to create the Antidote cocktail. Photo: Glowing Studios

Hong Kong-based singer-songwriter Jodie Chan. Photo: Stephanie Teng/Joya

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Qiu Jingchuan, deputy chief practitioner at Lei Yun Shang, takes a patient’s blood pressure at the company’s TCM clinic in Shanghai, China. Photo: Lisa Cam

Lei Yun Shang’s TCM clinic in Shanghai. Photo: Lei Yun Shang

Hong Kong-based TCM practitioner Samuel To at his clinic in Central. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

San fu tian moxibustion patches on a patient. Photo: Samuel To

Inside Lei Yun Shang’s TCM clinic in Shanghai. Photo: Lei Yun Shang

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Hathaway as Catwoman in a still from The Dark Knight Rises. Photo: Warner Bros

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Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

The rise of traditional Chinese medicine

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Researchers, including in Hong Kong, have been looking at the potential of traditional Chinese medicine to treat dementia, cases of which are forecast to rise as the elderly population grows. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Dr Fanny Ip Chui-fun, chief scientific officer of the Hong Kong Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases, says there is a pressing need to find solutions to dementia. Photo: HKCeND

TCM has the potential to help treat dementia because of the way it promotes gut health – which is linked to brain health. Photo: Shutterstock 

The leaves and bark of Ginkgo biloba, a tree which has been around for 250 million years, have long been used in TCM. They are believed to improve cognitive function. Photo: Shutterstock

VascuReform is a herbal brain health product under the Cogniherbs label designed to protect cognitive function. Photo: Infitech

A diagram of a cross-section of the brain of an Alzheimer’s sufferer, showing atrophy of the cerebral cortex and an enlarged hippocampus and ventricles. Photo: Shutterstock 

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TCM practitioner Elizabeth Yau gives a patient facial acupuncture. Acupuncture has become a common TCM treatment. Photo: Elizabeth Yau

Chee Hee Seng is spreading the word of the value of TCM through social media, raising followers’ awareness – and curiosity – about this age-old medical system. Photo: Instagram/tcmbycheehee

Elizabeth Yau inserts acupuncture needles in a client’s stomach. Photo: Elizabeth Yau 

Chee Hee Seng was exposed to Chinese medicine from a young age and is now using it to help his family. Photo: Instagram/@tcmbycheehee

A patient undergoes cupping therapy. Photo: Elizabeth Yau

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Hong Kong-based traditional Chinese medicine practitioner Elizabeth Yau says that by addressing specific imbalances, TCM herbal remedies can uplift energy levels, reduce stress, improve digestion and restore overall vitality. Photo: Instagram/tcm.elizabeth

There are about 700 herb plants in common use in TCM. Photo: Shutterstock

Seng says that if you have come down with a cold, the best way to treat it naturally is to take personalised Chinese medicinal herbs and get enough rest. Photo: Instagram/tcmbycheehee

Ginger is commonly used in herbal remedies. Photo: Shutterstock

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A traditional Chinese medicine practitioner checks an elderly man. According to the Hong Kong Stroke Fund, about 25,000 new stroke cases occur in the city each year. Photo: Eugene Lee

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Cattle gallstones, or niu huang, are a prized ingredient in TCM and feature in Angong Niuhuang Wan. Photo: Soho/APP

Many people have faith in Chinese medicine, especially in formulas like Angong Niuhuang Wan that have existed for hundreds of years or more. Photo: Shutterstock

TCM practitioner Michelle Zhang treats a patient. Photo: Michelle Zhang

Patients and workers at a TCM clinic in Hangzhou, China. Photo: Shutterstock

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Yun Wellness, at the Island Shangri-la in Hong Kong, regularly hosts guest acupuncturists, tai chi masters and bonesetters. Photo: Yun Wellness

Kelly Chain Yeung Pui-kuen, a TCM practitioner at Chain’s Medicare Centre in Admiralty, Hong Kong. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Goods for sale at Chain’s Medicare Centre. Photo: Jonathan Wong

The interior of Chuan Spa at Cordis, Hong Kong. Photo: Karma Lo

Yun Wellness’ spa treatments are built around a holistic philosophy that seeks to revitalise the body and the mind. Photo: Yun Wellness

Jessie Chan, assistant director of Chuan Spa at Cordis, Hong Kong. Photo: Karma Lo

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


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


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

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Stars from Ariana Grande to Tom Brady are helping traditional Chinese medicine treatments like cupping and acupuncture soar in popularity

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