Firemen saw off cup from Wuhan man's back after DIY treatment goes wrong

While cupping therapy is a norm everywhere, a man's treatment session went painfully wrong when he decided to use his own Do-It-Yourself (DIY) kit instead of seeing a professional.

According to Shanghaiist, Mr Hu's kit uses an air pump to siphon air out of the cup so that it sticks firmly to the skin.

The man had lain down comfortably on a couch while his wife placed the cups on his back.

However, she stuck one of the cups too tight and was unable to detach it -- even after trying to use a hammer and pliers.

Mr Hu visited a local clinic nearby, but its doctor was equally helpless.

By the time his son reached home and drove Mr Hu to the hospital one hour later, the skin inside the cup had already swollen up to 5cm in height.

This prompted medical personnel to call firefighters for help instead.

The firemen managed to remove the cup from Mr Hu's back with a "somewhat unhygienic-looking saw" and he was subsequently treated for his wound.