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Gua Sha
Gua Sha means ‘scraping stagnant blood’ in Chinese. This refers to the idea that when muscles are tight and stiff, it is often described as stagnant blood in their medical terminology. Gua Sha is used in many of the same cases as cupping, to relieve pain and increase flexibility in the back, neck, and shoulders. It is preferable to cupping in some cases because it is quicker, more focused, and can be used in smaller areas more easily. It can also be done at home.
In the photo at right, the marks on the back appear alarming, but the skin is not broken, there is no bleeding or pain, and the patient is comfortable. These marks are a rather typical result in a patient with severe back spasms. The marks will fade like a bruise, over the next few days. The patient felt immediate relief after this treatment.
In this procedure, the practitioner rubs the blunt edge of a scraping tool across the skin, leaving a
raspberry or hickie. The tool may be the rounded edge of a jar lid, the edge of a chinese soup spoon,
or a specialized gwa sha tool. The skin is lubricated with oil or liniment first, and the edge is
strongly dragged across the area of discomfort. The resulting mark will disappear in 3-5 days.
The appearance of the marks can be alarming, but the effect is profoundly positive and patients
often ask for this treatment. Despite the appearance, the skin is never broken during gua sha,
and the treatment is comfortable for the patient. Just as in cupping, there is negligible risk
to the patient from gua sha.