TCM techniques

Gua sha originated from the folk, and was first recorded in the Yuan Dynasty physician Wei Yilin’s “World Doctor Prescription”, and other medical classics also have detailed records of the principles and methods of gua sha. For example, “Sha Swelling Yuheng” says: “Gua sha method, up and down the back and neck bones, and the two back, shoulders and arms of the chest and flanks, scrape it with copper coins dipped in sesame oil.” Wu Shangxian’s “Li Han Piaowen” contains “impotence abdominal pain, Mo Miao scrapes the back with a porcelain spoon dipped in sesame oil, covers the five internal organs, salty on the back, scrapes it with evil spirits, and the disease is relieved.” ”

What is Gua Sha?

Gua Sha, as an external treatment method under the guidance of the theory of meridians and acupoints in traditional Chinese medicine, has a long history and profound cultural heritage. It uses a special scraping appliance to scrape the body surface with corresponding techniques to achieve the purpose of blood circulation and blood stasis, detoxification and sha, and disease prevention and treatment.

Then the process of “sha” is a phenomenon from the dilatation of blood vessels to the rupture of capillaries, and the formation of bruising and ecchymosis on the skin. The blood clot soon collapses and produces autologous hemolysis, forming a new stimulator that can adjust immune function, improve immunity, and regulate brain excitability and inhibition.

The role of gua sha

01Promote blood circulation and eliminate blood stasis

Gua sha is operated on the surface of the body through a gua sha board, which can stimulate the contraction of muscle tissue, speed up blood flow, and promote metabolism, thereby speeding up the absorption and dissipation of local edema and hematoma. This effect helps to improve the symptoms of cervical spondylosis, frozen shoulder, lumbar disc herniation and other diseases.

02、Dispelling evil and detoxifying

Gua sha can dredge the meridians, regulate qi and blood, enhance the regulatory function of endocrine, and then promote the discharge of dampness and toxins. This effect helps to improve the condition of the facial skin and helps to improve the problems of simple obesity.

03、Clear pyrolysis table

Gua sha at specific acupuncture points or along specific meridians can dispel wind and cold, evacuate wind and heat, thereby improving colds, heat stroke and other diseases. This effect reflects TCM’s deep understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis and precise treatment.

04、Regulates yin and yang

Gua sha can reconcile yin and yang, improve the function of internal organs, and improve symptoms such as sleep disorders through specific techniques and directions. This effect reflects the importance and regulation of yin and yang balance in Chinese medicine.

05、Relieves muscle tension

Gua sha can relax the muscle fascia, improve local metabolism and circulation, and has a certain effect on pain after joint ligament injury.

06、Boosts immunity

Gua sha can promote circulation in the body, help remove toxins and waste products from the body, improve immunity, and prevent the occurrence of diseases such as the flu.

Indications for gua sha

Medical diseases

Cold, headache, cough, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, sequelae of stroke, enuresis, gastritis, enteritis, constipation, hypertension, vertigo, diabetes, etc.

Neuralgia, soft tissue pain, etc

Neuropathic headaches, insomnia, dreaminess, neurosis, sciatica, frozen shoulder, stiff neck, low back pain, etc.

Various bone and joint diseases

Rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, cervical spine, lumbar spine, knee hyperostosis and other diseases.

Pediatric diseases

Loss of appetite, children’s cold and fever, diarrhea, enuresis and other diseases.

ENT disorders

Toothache, rhinitis, sinusitis, sore throat, vision loss, amblyopia, juvenile pseudovision, deafness, tinnitus and other diseases.

Common techniques and locations of gua sha

technique

Supplementary curettage method: the pressure is small, the effect is superficial, and the speed is slow, and it is used for the elderly, frail, long-term illness, and serious illness of patients with deficiency syndrome.

Laxative scraping method: the pressure is large, the effect is deep, the speed is fast, it can relieve the disease, and it is used for the evidence of young, strong, new and acute diseases.

Flat scraping method: also known as flat scraping method, the pressure and movement speed of the scraping board are moderate. Focusing on the regulation of yin and yang, it is used for patients with a mixed physique, especially for sub-healthy people or healthy people.

place

Head scraping: It can promote blood circulation in the head, eliminate fatigue, eliminate headaches, improve blood supply to the brain, and give people a feeling of relaxation. For people with a tight scalp and headaches, it can improve blood circulation in the local scalp.

Neck and shoulder scraping: It has the effect of dispelling wind and channeling, activating blood and removing blood stasis, which can improve shoulder and neck pain and stiffness, and also has a therapeutic effect on the symptoms of the head, throat and other parts.

Back scraping: It can play a role in regulating yin and yang, regulating viscera, relaxing tendons and channels, strengthening the waist and kidneys, strengthening the body’s external function and removing dampness in the body. It can also increase the body’s own immunity and improve the body’s internal and mental functions.

Contraindications and precautions

Although gua sha is good, pay attention to the following issues before and after operation:

1. When scraping, you should pay attention to indoor warmth, and avoid cold and wind in winter. In summer, avoid the fan blowing directly on the scraping area;

2. Do not take a cold shower within 30 minutes after scraping;

3. Before the spots in the previous scraping site have not receded, it is not advisable to scrape again in the same place. The time of scraping again needs to be separated by 3~6 days, and the skin sha retreats as the standard;

4. Drink a glass of warm water after gua sha and rest for 15~20 minutes. to replenish qi yin.

Contraindications:1. Pregnant women, leukemia, thrombocytopenia;
2. People with high skin allergies, or skin diseases;3. Heart failure;4. Patients with renal failure;5. Cirrhosis of the liver with ascites;6. Patients with severe edema of the whole body;

7. Those who are drunk, hungry, full, thirsty, or overtired.

Neck and shoulder scraping: It has the effect of dispelling wind and channeling, activating blood and removing blood stasis, which can improve shoulder and neck pain and stiffness, and also has a therapeutic effect on the symptoms of the head, throat and other parts.

Back scraping: It can play a role in regulating yin and yang, regulating viscera, relaxing tendons and channels, strengthening the waist and kidneys, strengthening the body’s external function and removing dampness in the body. It can also increase the body’s own immunity and improve the body’s internal and mental functions.