The discussion on the origin of Gua Sha has become a hot topic now, with the popularity of guasha all over the world. However, there is no specific historical reference for the origin of Gua Sha. Therefore, most of the origin and development of guasha can only be obtained from some ancient Chinese books and folk information.
Today we will discuss the origin of Gua Sha and its development process, and whether it has any value and contribution to us today.
The Ancient Origin and Significance of Gua Sha
The Origin and Development of Gua Sha
At present, the origin of guasha can be traced back to the Paleolithic Age thousands of years ago. It is said that in the Paleolithic Age, when people were sick, they would instinctively tap the diseased area with their hands or stones. Sometimes, the pain would be significantly relieved after tapping. Through long-term development, it gradually evolved into a stone treatment method. Bianstone treatment is the budding stage of acupuncture and scraping. It can be said that scraping is a branch evolution of Bianstone treatment.
This is the prototype of gua sha, but the real documented use of guasha is in the Huangdi Neijing and other classical medical books. It is said that guasha was developed when ancient physicians observed that the skin on the surface of the human body has reflective areas. By stimulating these areas, it can promote blood circulation, regulate Qi and blood, detoxify and detoxify and other therapeutic effects. And the original scraping was only used to treat “sha” disease, but it did not have the functions of beautifying, relieving fatigue and improving sports injuries as it is now.
An earlier description of “Sha” disease can be found in Wang Rong’s “Zhisu Fang Mi Ma Lun” of the Song Dynasty. Wei Yilin, a medical scientist in the Yuan Dynasty, described the “Sha” disease in his “Shiyi Dexiao Prescription” as follows: lower abdominal cramping accompanied by symptoms of sweating, and unbearable swelling in the abdomen, commonly known as “Sha” that disturbs the intestines.
Both scraping and acupuncture evolved from the stone treatment method, but they have not been systematically developed like acupuncture, and are more popular among the people. According to the “Preface” of Wang Ting’s “Sha Expansion Yuheng” in the Qing Dynasty: Farmers in the countryside were infected with “Sha” disease when they used excrement as fertilizer for crops, and then used copper coins dipped in oil to scratch the affected areas. However, most of the people who use this method are women in the countryside, and famous doctors rarely use and master this method.
For a long period of time, scraping was only spread among the people as a native Chinese treatment method. However, modern medical research has discovered that scraping can promote blood circulation, relieve muscle tension, promote lymphatic drainage, etc., and also has a certain auxiliary therapeutic effect on some chronic diseases. It has been found to have certain effects in treating colds, fever, rheumatism, indigestion, sports injuries and even beauty treatments. Gua Sha began to spread all over the world, not just among Chinese people.
The Meaning of Gua Sha
The existence of guasha has far-reaching significance in ancient China, especially for the poor people among the people. As we mentioned, Gua Sha can be performed using stones, and basically any hard object can be used for guasha. The operation method is also very simple, you only need to scrape the required parts.
The simple equipment does not require advanced operation, which makes it possible for almost everyone to perform scraping treatment, which is undoubtedly good for farmers with extremely poor material foundation. From this perspective, scraping also has certain significance in saving lives and maintaining the stability of the underlying society.
Gua Sha’s Contribution to Modern Times
The Gua Sha’s contribution to modern times, especially for China, is mainly reflected in two aspects: health and income.
For health:
The widespread spread of Gua Sha in modern China has enabled countless people to experience the benefits of guasha, especially for people in offices and those who exercise at high intensity for a long time. It has improved the sub-health status of countless people, brought a happier life to countless Chinese people, and has continued to spread to other countries.
For income:
As the popularity of Gua Sha increases, more and more people are interested in guasha and begin to actively experience Gua Sha. Demand creates value. In order to meet the increasing demand for scraping, more and more jobs related to scraping have been created, creating a large number of jobs.
And as we said, Gua Sha has a lower barrier to entry. Therefore, a large number of laid-off workers can be re-employed after a short period of training. This undoubtedly brings new hope to these laid-off workers, which will also help promote the stability of Chinese society and increase the income of citizens.
Afterword:
Gua Sha has a long history, and it does not remain stagnant due to the wisdom of its ancestors. Instead, it is actively improved and optimized so that it can occupy a place in the ever-changing world without being eliminated.
In ancient times, Gua Sha brought hope and health to the lower class people in China, and in modern times, with the improvement of technology and tools, it will continue to bring more value to people now and in the future.
