GuaSha

 

GuaSha is a traditional Chinese medical treatment in which the skin is scraped to produce light bruising (Sha) that fades within 2-5 days.  This Sha releases toxins from injured areas and stimulates blood flow and healing.  A round-edged tool is used in repeated pressured strokes over lubricated skin on muscle groups or along the pathway of acupuncture meridians.  GuaSha treatments are usually performed on the neck, shoulders and upper back providing an almost immediate sense of relief.

 

The guiding principle behind GuaSha is that this technique has the ability to break up stagnation promoting the smooth flow of blood in the area, thereby relieving pain.  GuaSha expands blood vessels, opens sweat pores and increases the rate of blood circulation (microcirculation) in soft tissues.  The beneficial result is the elimination of metabolic poisons that congest in the blood vessels resulting in pain, both acute and chronic.