Gua Sha

Gua Sha is a technique commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to alleviate pain and treat chronic and acute conditions. 

It is very effective to alleviate chronic pain from recent and older injuries as it promotes circulation in the area.

Who It can Benefit

• Headache

• Migraines

• Neck, shoulder, back and knee pain

• Hepatitis (has been evaluated by Harvard for effectiveness!)

• Facial Rejuvenation

• Past Injuries

How It Works

The practitioner uses a smooth tool, usually porcelain, jade, or wood and gently scrapes along the surface of the skin in areas where tension, scar tissues, or adhesions exist.  As the stroke is performed, friction and heat occurs, which leads to mast cells (a type of white blood cell) to produce inflammatory signals that results in a pink/purple discoloration. This is a therapeutic inflammation, which is helpful to healing.   This inflammation acts as the catalyst for the body to start its own healing process, as it increases circulation to the area by 400%. Often, red marks, called petechiae will appear, which appear like a bruise, but are in fact different as they do not cause swelling. The marks left usually fade and disappear within 2-5 days.