Gua Sha, meaning “scraping,” is a traditional Chinese medical treatment in which the skin is scraped to produce light bruising. In other words, Gua Sha is a virtually painless practice that involves the application of pressure to the skin through a gentle scraping technique that utilizes a small, hand-held, smooth-edged tool composed of jade, quartz, buffalo horn, ceramic, or other materials. This scraping motion may temporarily produce small, red marks or red spots on the skin known as petechiae or “sha,” which looks like a rash or mild bruise. If petechiae appears, the size and intensity of these red marks or spots depends on the severity of one’s condition and varies greatly from one person to the next. These red marks or spots usually will go away within 7 days but may last as long as 2 weeks.
Gua Sha is a treatment that helps to relieve muscle tension and joint pain by stimulating blood flow to the treatment area so as to reduce swelling, inflammation, and scar tissue, as well as eliminate any energetic blockages found within the body that may be causing the discomfort. Gua Sha can be applied to a variety of areas found on the body, mainly the neck, back, arms, legs, and face. Gua Sha is primarily used to treat musculoskeletal pain, such as neck, back, and shoulder pain, as well as numerous other health concerns.
For more information on Gua Sha, please view this article.
