Gua Sha and Why It’s Good For You
Gua Sha is a type of bodywork therapy used in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) to relieve pain, relax muscles and improve circulation.
You might've seen or heard about facial Gua Sha on social media. It's used to lift and firm the skin of the face while aiding in the absorption of serums and moisturizers. It's been proven to help relieve tension in the face, reduce puffiness, and inflammation, and it can even help reduce sinus pressure.
But Gua Sha isn't just a "cosmetic" treatment.
It's considered a type of massage therapy that reduces muscle soreness and relieves back, neck and shoulder pain. It can be used just about anywhere!
Gua sha has been shown to relieve pain by its ability to increase microcirculation. In a recent study, researchers saw a four-fold increase in microcirculation and a relief in pain that persisted beyond the time of treatment.
For athletes, the use of Gua Sha was shown to increase weight lifting ability by raising immunoglobulin A levels and reducing Creatine Kinase (CK) levels, and Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) levels. Basically, this means the muscles can do a hefty amount of work and recovery is quicker reducing muscle fatigue post workout.
Gua Sha can be used in treatment of the following conditions:
Neck pain
Back pain
Fatigue
Perimenopausal sydrome
Peripheral neuropathy
Migraines
TMJ
Lines and wrinkles associated with aging
Breast engorgement/fullness/discomfort and mastitis
Fibromyalgia
Insomnia
Sinus pressure/pain
and more (of course)!
In practical terms, Gua Sha involves the use of a smooth-edged tool to scrape the skin. This scraping motion works on the myofascial layer of membranes that surround, connect and support the muscles. It also promotes lymphatic drainage, increases blood circulation and can enhance overall skin health.
The use of Gua Sha predates the use of needles in acupuncture and originally practitioners used a type of stone called a bian stone. It is considered to be the first healing stone therapy.
Current day gua sha tools are made from various types of semi-precious stones, porcelain, wood and even horn. While they come in all shapes and sizes, they all have a smooth flat edge used to scrape and stimulate the skin.
Just a note of caution. While Gua Sha is safe for most people, this is not a treatment appropriate for anyone taking blood thinning medication or anyone with a medical condition affecting the skin or blood vessels. Be sure to speak openly with your practitioner about any conditions you may have.
For more research on Gua Sha, check out the following articles:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17905355/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32186106/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31003681/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27760084/