‘Online course in slap therapy is a danger to health’

ONLINE workshops for a controversial “slap therapy” are available for less than £40.

An instructor shows how to “cure” symptoms of illnesses, including diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis, by slapping different body parts until they bruise, a practice known as “Paida Lajin”.

In videos viewed by the Sunday People, the practitioner urges subscribers to shun doctors and pills in favour of the therapy, saying: “In a few years, you’re your own doctor.”

The therapist made totally unfounded claims that cancerous tumours were caused by “airconditioning and drinking cold water” and longterm medication for chronic illness was “toxic”.

Martin Ledwick, of Cancer Research UK, said: “Paida

Lajin is extremely dangerous. We urge people not to take part in this unsafe practice.

“It couldn’t be more worrying to see that it is being advertised in place of seeing a doctor, and its claims about cancer bear no relation to any scientific facts.

“A cancer diagnosis can be incredibly difficult so it’s understandable why patients look for alternative treatments, but no one with cancer should be offered this painful and horrific experience.”

In the videos, the therapist repeatedly slapped students for up to 15 minutes at a time.

They were told: “The more it hurts, the more it heals.” And people were urged to target painful points they were unable to reach by using sticks, stones or even a meat cleaver. One participant was told to keep slapping his head, despite saying it gave him a migraine. The tutor told him repeatedly hitting the head “helps to relieve all chronic diseases”.

She said it was particularly effective for healing headaches, insomnia, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

She also alleged it could cure baldness and urged participants to keep slapping even if their ears “ring”.

The teacher claimed society was “overly medicated”, and said: “All medication they take is going to eventually hurt them in the long run because it’s unnecessary, also a waste of our society’s resource.”