Gua Sha
Another traditional Chinese healing technique, “gua” means rubbing or scraping and “sha” means sand or grit. We apply a Chinese herbal liniment and use a special hand held plastic or bone instrument to vigorously rub over areas of pain and congestion. We use gua sha on many patients who suffer from chronic back, neck or joint pain to bring fresh blood and lymph supply to sore areas. In addition to local pain, gua sha is effective for menstrual pain, headaches, digestive problems, and anxiety. It can also be applied gently to the face as part of facial rejuvenation treatment. Gua sha may leave dark red scrape marks for up to 48 hours and then disappear. We are gratified when we see the excellent healing results patients get from gua sha in conjunction with acupuncture.
