We have read about the gua sha effect in many articles, and we have also explained the effect of gua sha in detail in our own articles. With the outbreak and global spread of COVID-19, many people want to know about the methods to fight against COVID-19, so many people will start to ask a question, whether Gua Sha can fight against COVID-19?
The answer is – there may be some effect, but there is no clear scientific proof.
Gua Sha Effect
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that when the “qi” and blood in the body are stagnant and blocked, the disease will follow, and gua sha can stimulate the meridians on the body surface to achieve the effect of promoting “qi” and blood circulation, dredging the meridians, and adjusting the viscera; Every part of the body can get sufficient nutritional supply, and the uncomfortable symptoms will naturally be alleviated.
When you have a cold and a fever, your body’s immunity is weak. Cheng Huizheng, who is qualified as a Chinese and Western doctor, said that the subcutaneous bleeding and congestion caused by gua sha will cause a slight inflammatory reaction. When the body detects the bleeding, it will mobilize white blood cells and macrophages. Therefore, gua sha can also enhance the activity of white blood cells and stimulate the body’s immunity. The effect of the reaction.
“The concept of gua sha is similar to sweating,” said Shen Yizhong, director of the Department of Pediatrics at Linsen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Taipei United Hospital. Comfortable, and “Sha” is like sweat, it is also a mechanism of body regulation. Gua Sha uses external stimulation to speed up the body’s circulation, so that the heat evil in the body can be vented.
Gua Sha can be used to treat physical aches, respiratory ailments, or stagnation of Qi and blood in the body. From the perspective of Chinese medicine, diseases are caused by “qi” stagnation and blood stasis in the body, destroying local micro blood vessels and surrounding tissues, allowing the body to quickly discharge metabolic waste, achieving the effect of eliminating wind and evil, reconciling “qi” and blood, and improving body balance. Therefore, Gua Sha has the following effects and benefits:
- Improve respiratory diseases, such as colds, nasal allergies, asthma
- Treat musculoskeletal problems, including cervical spondylosis, frozen shoulder, lumbar disc herniation and muscle pain
- Improve children’s respiratory tract infection, fever, enuresis and other problems in children
- Relieve fatigue, relax muscles and activate collaterals
- Strengthen the body and promote blood circulation
Treatment for COVID-19. In addition to drug treatment, the resistance to the new corona virus is mainly due to our own immune system. Various immune cells in the human body will work together to eliminate various harmful germs and bacteria in the body.
And we mentioned in the above article that Gua Sha can properly stimulate the working efficiency of our immune system. So from this point of view, gua sha therapy has a certain effect on patients with mild symptoms of new coronary pneumonia.
Having said that, gua sha may not be of much use for those patients with slightly severe symptoms. But whether it is mild or severe, if you use Gua Sha, please consult your doctor if it is feasible and ask a professional to do Gua Sha.
How to Use Gua Sha?
The thickness of the gua sha board should be moderate, if it is too thick, it will not be able to gua sha, and if it is too thin, it will easily hurt the skin. The width is about the width of an adult’s palm, which is easier to grasp and exert force.
Usually, as long as it is used smoothly, any utensils with blunt and smooth edges that are available at hand can be used for gua sha, such as the back of a comb, a porcelain spoon, a small disc, etc., as long as it is round, undamaged, and does not scratch the skin. It is best to avoid metal products, because some people are allergic to metals; copper plates are even more unsuitable, not only are they made of metal, but the edges are not smooth enough, which can easily scratch the skin.
Lubricating
In order to reduce resistance and avoid skin abrasions, lubricating media such as baby oil, lotion, tiger balm, comfrey cream, and petroleum jelly should be used when gua sha. If you don’t have any at hand, you can use water instead.
Disinfect
If the gua sha equipment and the skin are not disinfected first, once the gua sha accidentally breaks the skin, it is easy to get infected. Before gua sha, Chinese medicine practitioners will first use alcohol, sterile cotton swabs, and cotton balls to sterilize the skin to be gua shad; if you want to gua sha yourself for health care, you should also clean the gua sha board and skin before gua sha to avoid infection.
Method
Choose a well-ventilated place for gua sha. Make a 90-degree angle between the gua sha board and the skin, press down vertically, and gua sha in one direction (do not gua sha over and then back), and gua sha the same part up to 20 times, with a length of about 5 to 10 centimeters at a time.
TCM physicians remind you to pay attention to 3 principles in gua sha
- From inside to outside, from top to bottom, one-way gua sha, not back and forth. gua sha up to 20 times on the same place.
- Choose parts with more muscles to gua sha, such as the back of the body, limbs, etc. Do not gua sha the front of the neck, because important nerves and blood vessels pass through, and the back of the neck can be gua sha.
- Start light and then heavy, master the strength, and pay attention to the reaction of the person being gua sha, not too painful.
Regardless of whether you believe that Gua Sha can treat COVID-19, it should be operated by professionals to avoid unnecessary damage.
