BRITS have been warned to avoid a misleading fake "medical" practice where people pay hundreds of pounds to slap themselves and others to the point of severe bruising and bleeding. Known as Paida Lajin, the dangerous concept falsely promises followers that they can cure deadly diseases like cancer. Paida Lajin follows the idea in Chinese medicine that toxins can be purged from the body by clearing blockages.
Videos show its followers repeatedly slapping themselves , or slapping each other, leaving large bruises and drawing blood. The bruising is thought to bring the 'poisoned blood' to the surface and expel chemical "odours" - but it is all psuedo-science. Followers also stretch their legs painfully straight and upwards on a bench.
Most followers practice Paida Lajin in their own homes, slapping privately, but followers talk on social media and also go to group retreats. On one Facebook page, believers share photos of their bruised bodies and testimonials describing their successes, while comments congratulate them. One person who developed a limp repeatedly slapped their leg and said: "In applying the PL method, I found that the more I did it, the better I felt.
The secret is persistence!" "I feel good. I have no strong heartbeat. The pain in the neck and arm significantly decreased," said another.
Most read in Health One woman even posted photos of her labrador's belly rubbed raw after subjecting the pooch to the practice. It comes after another woman died when she stopped .