Gua Sha : Health Advantage and Disadvantage Of Gua Sha

Originally posted on October 1, 2022 @ 11:36 am

Gua sha is a conventional Chinese therapeutic technique in which a skilled expert presses and strokes your skin with an instrument with a smooth edge. Petechiae, which appear under your skin as tiny, red, rash-like dots, are raised by this motion.

Gua sha is used to heal persistent pain in people’s bodies. They frequently combine it with additional complementary therapies, including herbal medicine, massage, acupuncture, and heat therapy.

What Is Gua Sha?

Table of Contents

1 What Is Gua Sha?

Gua sha is a natural, complementary therapy that involves scrubbing your skin with a massage tool to increase circulation. This traditional Chinese healing method may present a novel way to improve health by addressing problems like chronic pain.

In gua sha, a practitioner scrapes your skin in either short or long strokes to encourage the soft tissue’s microcirculation, which boosts blood flow. They apply these strokes using a tool known as a gua massage tool, which has a smooth edge. The technician uses the tool to repeatedly scrape your skin downward after applying massage oil to it.

Gua sha aims to treat the body’s chi, or stagnant energy, which practitioners believe may be the cause of inflammation. Numerous conditions linked to chronic pain have inflammation as their underlying cause. It is believed that rubbing the skin’s surface will aid in breaking up this energy, lessen inflammation, and accelerate healing.

Gua sha is typically applied to a person’s back, buttocks, neck, arms, and legs. Even the face can be treated with a gentle variation of it using a facial technique. To gauge how much force you can withstand, your technician may start off gently and build up the pressure.

What Happens

Your technician will apply oil to your body to get you ready for treatment. After that, they will scrape your skin with long, downward motions using a tool that looks like a stone for gua sha massage. You will then start to detect patches of petechiae on your skin.

Typically, gua sha is applied to:

Back
Neck
Butt

Arms
Legs

They will initially apply the instrument to your skin with care. Increase the stroke pressure gradually. They will only exert pressure to the extent that you find acceptable.

It is thought that this procedure may increase blood flow and provide your skin with a “lifting” sensation, which some people believe may help reduce toxins in your body and encourage recovery.

You may also get gua sha on your face, but the procedure would be more delicate.

Potential Benefit of Gua Sha

Several research investigations have investigated whether it may be beneficial for certain conditions, including:

Hepatitis B According to one study, it could lessen the degree to which the hepatitis B virus causes liver inflammation. For sure, however, we’ll need additional research.

Migraines According to the research, Gua sha may help reduce migraine discomfort when used as part of a 14-day inpatient treatment. To demonstrate this, however, scientists still need more data from clinical trials.

Syndrome of Tourette’s This illness creates “tics,” or unexpected twitches, by affecting your neurological system. One study involved a guy with Tourette’s syndrome who had gua sha, acupuncture, herbs, and lifestyle modifications once a week for 35 weeks. He noticed a 70% reduction in his symptoms. To confirm the connections, however, researchers need additional data.

My neck is tense.48 patients with chronic neck discomfort participated in a clinical experiment and were divided into two equal groups. After a week, those who had gua sha treatment experienced a brief but considerable reduction in discomfort. Regarding gua sha’s potential impact on chronic neck discomfort, experts are divided.

Signs of Menopause. Hot flashes, irregular periods, sleep problems, and mood swings are all common among women who are approaching menopause. Women who used gua sha once a week for eight weeks in one study saw an improvement in those symptoms. Researchers are still attempting to comprehend how it operates.

A Fuller Breast. Your breasts could become too full of milk if you breastfeed. They could become sore and swollen as a result of this. In one study, gua sha treatment was given to women whose breast fullness made it difficult for them to nurse. This treatment continued for a few weeks after the ladies returned home. These women experienced an improvement in their ability to breastfeed when their pain subsided.

Possible Risk Factors of Gua Sha

Gua Sha is generally regarded as secure. However, you might experience some skin discoloration or bruises. You may also experience some temporary soreness and tenderness after your treatment.

If you are taking a blood clot medication, you shouldn’t consume it.

If you’re considering gua sha, check with your doctor to make sure it’s a good fit for you.