Gua Sha Tools have become a go-to source of the dedicated in search of beauty treatments.
If you thought the purple bruise marks of cupping were terrifying, check out the after-effects of gua sha.
The #guasha Instagram thread has lots of images of people looking like they’ve just lost an MMA fight.
What these photos don’t tell, however, are the unique benefits of gua sha and the reason for trying it.
What is Gua Sha?
Gua sha is a traditional Chinese therapy and is performed by a certified technician.
It is a treatment similar to cupping, initiating a reaction in the body by putting it through controlled trauma.
Using gua sha tools, a technician presses down into areas that are unable to be reached otherwise. Then, the technician scrapes. This creates a rough, sand-like rash on the surface. Naturally, understanding the process, someone who hasn’t tried it might still wonder why.
Benefits of Gua Sha
Gua sha is a way to target pain. Specific areas like the back, neck, and shoulders that have uncomfortable aches and pains can often see it relieved in minutes with an experienced technician pressing gua sha tools into the body.
Chronic pain, muscle tightness, and musculoskeletal injuries are treated with gua sha.
In addition to that, gua sha increases blood flow, breaks up stagnancy in a tissue, clears away toxins, reduces chronic inflammation in a targeted manner, and is said to increase the immune response in the body.
Gua sha benefits are temporary in nature, comparable to acupuncture, chiropractic work, cupping, or massages. To find ongoing relief, one has to get gua sha treatments done semi-regularly.
In Western medicine, oftentimes, gua sha is referred to as ‘Graston Technique’, ‘IASTM’, or ‘instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization’.
What Does Gua Sha Feel Like?
We have to go back to those Instagram posts. They look like they hurt! Spoiler alert – it kind of does.
When you have gua sha performed on you, it is intense albeit brief. The scraping is done strategically. At most, it lasts seven minutes.
Body oil is used to assist with the glide of the crystal gua sha tool and to avoid unnecessary skin damage.
Afterward, any discomfort you feel from gua sha is comparable to that of a sunburn. It is temporary.
Does Gua Sha Work?
Here’s the big question. Does gua sha work – the answer is probably obvious at this point.
Gua sha can hurt. Yes, it can. Especially if it’s your first time and you don’t know what to expect. That said, gua sha works.
If you have an injury, our best advice is to try it. You may be surprised at what you discover. Removing the pain and initiating natural healing in this part of your body, any pain that comes with gua sha is worth it.
Find gua sha tools in Canada from Lierre.ca. High-quality tools that, in the hands of a skilled practitioner, provide all the pain relief and detoxifying benefits you want. Stay tuned for Black Friday deals and check them out at Lierre.ca.