When it comes to instant relief of pain, there is growing evidence that gua sha, a traditional form of Chinese medicine in Overland Park in which the skin is scraped by a blunt instrument, can be quite effective.
Gua sha therapy is a 2,000-year-old form of treatment, used by Chinese mothers for generations as a domestic remedy to heal sick children. It is now used all over Southeast Asia by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, and … Continue reading
According to a 2012 study entitled, “The Effects of Scraping Therapy on Blood Perfusion Volume and Local Temperature in Healthy Subjects,” Gua Sha “is a beneficial form of stimulation therapy performed on the skin.”
The article states that Gua Sha enhances tissue metabolism in the area scraped and in adjacent areas and relieves tension in the nerves and blood vessels.
The therapy can also reverse blockage to microcirculation. This means if something is obstructing the … Continue reading
Scraping therapy or gua sha therapy started out as a form of folk medicine in China. Wei Yi Lin, a doctor whole lived during the Yuan Dynasty wrote a book called the Effective Formulas Handed Down for Generations. In the book, the doctor wrote, “Use wet hemp to scrape the surface of the knee, wrist, neck, and elbow until there is only slight bleeding of the skin. Clothe the body with quilts and thick clothing … Continue reading
The benefits of gua sha therapy are numerous and it especially works against any chronic disorder that involves inflammation or pain.
Gua sha promotes smooth flow of blood to the organs, connective tissues, and muscles; enhances range of movement; and relieves pain and spasms. One session of this therapy often heads off an oncoming cold and can be an effective way to quiet a persistent cough. Studies have revealed that gua sha results in a … Continue reading
One of Chinese medicine’s ancient home remedy for respiratory conditions and other ailments is gua sha therapy. This technique is known as scraping and is starting to find more and more adherents in the West.
As with a lot of alternative therapies, the West has not subjected this therapy to comprehensive scientific studies. The Pain Medicine journal, a few years ago, published the findings of a small study, which showed that when compared to a … Continue reading
An ancient Chinese healing technique, Gua sha is used by a lot of traditional Chinese medicine therapists. It is a procedure that involves the application of massage oil or any other lubricating medium on the site(s) of treatment and the use of a smooth-edged tool to scrape the skin, usually on the back parallel to the spine or in the area of pain to relieve various types of ailments. This scraping movement produces ecchymosis (raised … Continue reading
The Chinese medicine technique known as Gua Sha is derived from two Chinese characters, ‘Gua’ which means ‘to rub or ‘scrape’, and ‘Sha’, a term used to depict a ‘petechiae’ or ‘millet-like, raised, reddish, skin rash.’ Gua Sha is a therapeutic procedure in which a petechiae is applied pressure and scraped with a handheld instrument with a curved surface, like a coin or a soup spoon.
A majority of practitioners though, use the traditional tool … Continue reading