Gua Sha Therapy: How Does This Technique Work
Gua Sha is a centuries-old therapeutic method that originated in China. Traditional medicine practitioners in Asia utilize it in clinical settings and private homes, although it is not widely known in the West. Gua means to rub or scrape.
A raised, reddish patch of skin is called "Sha." It entails palpation and cutaneous stimulation, in which the skin is pressed in strokes by an object with a round edge, such as a worn-out coin, a Chinese soup spoon made of ceramic, jade, or even sharpened animal bones.
Small red patches (known as "Sha") emerge as a result, and it is said that these Sha' remove blood stagnation, encouraging regular circulation and metabolic functions.
Using gua sha is beneficial in preventing and treating acute infectious diseases, digestive, upper respiratory, and other acute or chronic ailments.
Learn more about Gua Sha in this post and where you can buy gua sha and jade roller.
How Is Gua Sha Therapy Carried Out?
The practitioner applies Gua Sha by lubricating the affected area of skin with oil, placing the Gua Sha instrument against the pre-oiled skin surface, pressing down firmly, and rubbing the skin in downward strokes with moderate pressure or along the course of the acupuncture meridians with each stroke lasting between four and six inches.
Two varieties of gua sha therapy exist. One is meridian scraping therapy, which combines cutaneous scraping and acupressure. Holographic scraping therapy is an additional one; it entails scraping places on the body that correspond to bodily organs. This treatment is unique in that it just scrapes a small area and is quick.
When fixed position cupping is utilized, a certain amount of bruising at the cupping site is anticipated. Traditional cupping employs heated cups, which can produce a stimulating effect like that produced by burning moxa wool in moxibustion therapy.
Although some bruising is also anticipated, the movement of the cups along the skin's surface makes it somewhat similar to a softer Gua Sha Therapy. However, these bruises typically don't hurt and go away after a few days of treatment.
Where Do You Apply Gua Sha?
Gua Sha jade roller is typically applied to the body's back, neck, shoulders, buttocks, and limbs. Furthermore, more experienced practitioners may elevate "Sha" on the chest and abdomen.
The hue of "Sha" can range from a dark blue-black to a light pink but is most frequently a shade of red, depending on the degree of the patient's blood stasis, which may correlate with the nature, severity, and kind of their condition.
Due to the scraping being on oily skin, the patient won't experience much discomfort during or after the procedure, and the skin won't be harmed.
The patient often feels instant relief from pain, stiffness, fever, chills, cough, nausea, and other symptoms because Gua Sha moves trapped Qi and blood. In 2-4 days, the "Sha" bump ought to disappear.
Suppose it takes a very long time to go away. In that case, there may be a more serious deficiency that requires more treatments using a mix of acupressure and acupuncture in specific locations.
What Conditions Are Amenable To Gua Sha Therapy?
Gua Sha is a straightforward but effective technique for diagnosing and managing various diseases. It can boost the immune system, cleanse and alkalize the body, improve blood flow, control organ function, and eliminate blockages and pain.
Gua Sha is frequently used in classical Chinese medicine to treat and prevent acute diseases like the common cold or flu, asthma, and bronchitis, as well as persistent issues with pain and blood and Qi stagnation.
Pain from headache, neck, shoulder, joint, and back pain, fibromyalgia, sciatica, and other nerve pain, migraine, PMS, osteoporosis, and rheumatism are quickly relieved by it.
Additionally, it affects many illnesses brought on by internal organ dysfunction, including gynecological, urinary, and digestive ailments.
Conclusion
Gua sha is a natural, complementary therapy that involves using a roller and gua sha set to scrape your skin to increase circulation. This traditional Chinese treatment method may provide a novel strategy for achieving greater health by treating problems like chronic pain.
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