Similar to acupuncture, gua sha is a traditional East Asian medicine. Applied on the body, gua sha addresses muscle pain and tension. Applied on the face, gua sha can help with lymphatic drainage and leave a person with glowing, younger-looking skin. In North America, body scraping is still a relatively new therapy. Though it’s been highly praised by celebrities and trends on Instagram, it hasn’t been thoroughly studied by scientists. It’s not often recommended for this reason.
Gua sha tools are made from stone, quartz, and jade or other materials. The gua sha technique involves gently holding these tools scraping along the skin, stimulating a physiological response that eases tension and increases circulation.
Does gua sha work?
The philosophy of gua sha is to not only stimulate a physical response but to help move energy throughout the body. It is said to eliminate stagnancy in the body, in addition to breaking down scar tissue and connective tissue, and helping to improve movement in the joints. In our experience, we’ve seen gua sha work many times though this varies person to person. Gua sha bases itself around improving the quality of life and in that, a lot can be achieved with gua sha stone treatments.
Is gua sha dangerous?
Long story short, no gua sha is not dangerous. Gua sha does not have any serious side effects. Ideally, you don’t want to be performing it on skin that is irritated, plagued with acne or redness, or which is already bruised.
The only people who should not receive gua sha treatments are those with medical conditions affecting your veins, who bleed easily, who take blood-thinning medications, with deep vein thrombosis, if there’s an infection, tumor, or wound, or if you have an implant such as a pacemaker or internal defibrillator. Otherwise it is perfectly safe!
What is facial gua sha?
Facial gua sha uses a gentle technique and is performed from the neck up. The pressure does not leave behind any scarring or irritation, or at least it shouldn’t. Facial gua sha relieves muscle tension in this area of the body, helps to move oxygen-rich blood to the surface, and gently stimulates the skin.
What kind of issues can be treated with gua sha?
Gua sha has been shown to have effectiveness treating musculoskeletal disorders like tendon strain, back pain, and carpel tunnel syndrome, strengthens the immune system, is anti-inflammatory, can be used to treat some cold and flu symptoms, breaks up scar tissue, and can assist in moving joints.
To receive the full effects and benefits from gua sha, you need to ensure you have high quality tools and are applying the right technique. Find gua sha tools at Lierre.ca to find out more about how this treatment that can help you.