Gua Sha is a traditional Chinese treatment in which a trained professional strokes your skin with a smooth-edged tool while pressing it. This action creates small, red, rash-like dots that appear under your skin, called petechiae.
People use scraping to treat chronic pain all over the body. They are often done with other complementary therapies such as herbal medicine, massage, acupuncture and heat therapy.
What’s Happen
To prepare you for the treatment, your technician will apply oil on your body. They will then use a stone-like Gua Sha massage tool to scrape your skin in long, downward strokes. At this point you will notice petechial areas on the skin.
Most people use gua sha in their:
Back
Neck
Butt
Arm
Leg
First, they use the tool lightly on your skin. Gradually, add more pressure to the stroke. They will only apply the pressure you are comfortable with.
The process is thought to aid blood flow and create a “lifting” effect on the skin, which some say may help reduce toxins in the body and promote healing.
You can also gua sha on your face, but the process will be gentler.
Gua Sha Good for
Some studies have looked at whether it helps in certain conditions, including:
Hepatitis B. One study suggests that it may help reduce liver inflammation caused by the hepatitis B virus. But we need more research to be sure.
Migraine. Gua Sha appears to help relieve migraine headaches as part of a 14-day hospital stay, according to one study. But experts need more research and clinical trials to prove it.
Tourette’s Syndrome. This condition affects your nervous system and causes “twitches,” or sudden twitches. In one study, a man with Tourette syndrome used acupuncture, herbal medicine, lifestyle changes, and scraping once a week for 35 weeks. He saw a 70% improvement in his symptoms. But researchers need more evidence to confirm these links.
Neck pain. In a clinical trial, 48 people with chronic neck pain were divided into two groups. After a week, those who received the Gua Sha treatment experienced significantly less pain in a short period of time. Experts are inconclusive about the long-term effects of gua sha on neck pain.
Perimenopause symptoms. Women approaching menopause may experience irregular periods, hot flashes, sleep problems, and mood changes. In one study, women who used Gua Sha weekly for 8 weeks saw improvements in these symptoms. Researchers are still trying to understand how it works.
Breast tenderness. If you are breastfeeding, your breasts may be full of milk. This can cause them to swell and become painful. In one study, women who were unable to breastfeed because their breasts were full were treated with gua sha during the hospital stay and for a few weeks after returning home. These women felt that their pain was significantly reduced, and they were eventually able to breastfeed more easily.
Gua Sha Potential Risks
Generally, gua sha is considered safe. However, you may experience some bruising or discoloration on your skin. You may also experience pain and tenderness for a short time after treatment.
You should not take it if you are taking medicines to treat blood clots.
If you’re considering trying Gua Sha, talk to your doctor first to make sure it’s right for you.
