top of page
Search

Modality Spotlight: Gua Sha

Writer's picture: Bobby EngBobby Eng

Gua Sha is a traditional therapy used mainly for pain, inflammation, and immune support. It uses a blunt object (traditionally bone, jade, or bian stone, but more modernly stainless steel or titanium) in a scraping motion in certain body areas. There are a variety of techniques, and although the treatment can be intense, it is not painful. It is highly beneficial to reducing congestion (both superficially and at deeper levels), releasing toxins, and clearing heat. It can be used in a variety of pathologies including fever, headache, sunstroke, food poisoning, asthma, liver disease, and issues with stiffness/pain. Gua Sha causes a 4-fold increase in the microcirculation of surface tissues and can therefore also reduce inflammation and stimulate the immune system (it is common for the treatment of common colds in many Eastern cultures). It also up regulates heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1) which acts on organ inflammation and is the reason it is indicated with internal medicine disorders as well.


· Chen, T., Liu, N., Liu, J., Zhang, X., Huang, Z., Zang, Y., … Ding, Z. (2016). Gua Sha, a press-stroke treatment of the skin, boosts the immune response to intradermal vaccination. PeerJ, 4, e2451. doi:10.7717/peerj.2451

· Lee, M. S., Choi, T. Y., Kim, J. I., & Choi, S. M. (2010). Using Guasha to treat musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review of controlled clinical trials. Chinese medicine, 5, 5. doi:10.1186/1749-8546-5-5

· Xu, Q. Y., Yang, J. S., Zhu, B., Yang, L., Wang, Y. Y., & Gao, X. Y. (2012). The effects of scraping therapy on local temperature and blood perfusion volume in healthy subjects. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2012, 490292. doi:10.1155/2012/490292

· Nielssen, A., Knoblauch, NT., Dobos, GJ., Michalsen A., & Kaptchuk, TJ. (2007). The effect of Gua Sha treatment on the microcirculation of surface tissue: a pilot study in healthy subjects. Explore (NY). Sep-Oct; 3(5): 456-66


8 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Modality Spotlight: Cupping

Cupping is an increasingly common modality used by both practitioners of Traditional Chinese medicine and other therapies. It can be done...

Modality Spotlight: E-stim

Electro-Stim Acupuncture is the process of attaching clips to acupuncture needles and passing a current into the body tissue. This can be...

Modality Spotlight: Tui Na

Tui Na is known as Chinese therapeutic massage. It is often used in conjunction with other modalities, but can be a stand alone...

Comments


2101 Weiler Avenue W

Sidney, BC

©2021 by Eng’s Acupuncture. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page