Gua Sha Therapy

Gua Sha

Gua sha is a treatment modality of East Asian Medicine that utilizes a tool to apply pressure to scrape the skin, inducing a healing response in the underlying tissues to relieve muscle tension and pain.  Gua means ‘to rub’ or ‘press stroke’.  Sha is a term that describes the blood congestion in surface tissue in areas of tightness and pain; sha is also the term for the little red dots that are raised from applying gua sha.

Gua sha can resolve pain and spasms, release connective tissue adhesions to help break down scar tissue, and promote normal circulation to the muscles, tissues and organs.  It reduces inflammation, increases the microcirculation of surface tissue, and can produce an immune protective effect that persists for days following a single treatment.  Gua sha can be done almost anywhere on the body, but is typically applied to an area of pain or tightness on the back, neck, shoulders, chest, abdomen, buttocks and limbs, and often results in an immediate shift in pain or tension and range of motion.

After-care includes good hydration, eating moderately, refraining from strenuous activity for the rest of the day, and protecting the area from wind, cold, and direct sun until the sha fades.