Gua Sha, or Scraping as it is often referred to here, is a healing technique used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and other traditional East Asian medicinal practices.

It is based on the principle of the twelve main meridians and eight extra meridians in human body, the same as in acupuncture. It isn’t just a beauty treatment it is great for relieving stress and anxiety. 

 

Gua Sha is used to stimulate the meridian points. This may cause temporary reddish skin marks which indicates blood decongestion. The red marks will disappear in a few days, usually between 2-4 days.

 

It promotes blood circulation and helps with lymphatic drainage to remove toxins from the body. It can be used when a patient has pain associated with an acute or chronic disorder, or when there is an aching, tenderness and/or a knotty feeling in the muscles. 

 

It can also be used to treat as well as prevent the common cold, flu, bronchitis, asthma and both acute and chronic pain. The scraping brings the excess heat and toxins to the surface of the body to be released. 

 

Contraindications

 

Guasha is contraindicated with skin rashes, warts, boils, scars, carbuncles, lesions, varicose veins, ulcers, skin tags, hives, moles, sunburn, and abrasions that are at the surface. 

 

It is not used in pregnancy on the lower abdomen or lower back. 

 

It is not used with thin skin where the skin is not elastic enough to manage the firm pressure. 

 

It is not used with patients who bruise or bleed easily. 

 

Guasha also has to be used with caution with deficiency disorders and fibromyalgia.