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Patient Information Center... Additional Chinese Modalities
What is Gua Sha?
Gua Sha is a traditional ancient Chinese healing technique that dates back over two thousand years. Gua (gwa), meaning to scrape or extract and Sha (shaw), meaning sand or toxins. This ancient method of promoting Chi, blood circulation and removal of toxic heat, stagnant blood and lymph fluid from the body is an extremely important and effective healing modality.
How is Gua Sha applied?
The areas of the body to be Gua Sha-ed are lubricated with oil. The skin is then rubbed with a round-edged instrument in downward strokes. This oil may be enhanced either with healing herbs or essential oils chosen to aid the extraction of toxic waste. The skin is then scraped in the area of discomfort or at times on the entire body using a specific Gua Sha tool depending on whether the treatment is for physical or emotional healing.
Gua Sha treatments are not painful. As the body is scraped it pushes a build-up of fluid ahead of it, and after it passes, it leaves an indention or vacuum behind which draws toxic fluid out to the skins surface from deep within the tissues, the toxic fluid (Sha), as it floods to the surface is seen as small red, deep purple or green pools of blood and very often is hot on the area that the toxic heat is extracted. Red spots are an indication that toxins are being released. Where the area is deep purple the blood is old and extremely stagnant. A dark green discoloration is a sign that stagnant blood and toxic chi are being released from the system. Sometimes a clear fluid will draw to the surface in a form that resembles cellulite or goose bumps. Where the skin starts out as a green glow which turns to red during the treatment, is a sign that pain or stagnant chi is being removed. The exposing of the Sha is literally removing disease from deep within the system.
What are the benefits of Gua Sha?
Gua Sha creates a suction on the skin that pulls stagnant intercellular fluid to the surface, removing toxic debris, and replacing it with fresh oxygenated, nutrient rich fluid, which in turn accelerates regeneration and revitalizes the region where cancer cells may or already have manifested.
Gua Sha not only treats meridian system but the entire system. This is why Chinese Medicine utilizes Gua Sha as a cruical treatment in the prevention of disease. Gua Sha can be used to treat, alleviate and heal chronic degenerative diseases, migraines, chronic neck, shoulder and back pain, bone spurs, strains and sprains, menstrual disorders, insomnia, heart disease, hypertension, Vertigo, sinusitis, ear and eye disorders, chronic infections, sciatica, osteo arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, neuralgia, asthma, cysts and tumors, carpal tunnel syndrome, stress, digestive disorders, muscle aches, breast pain, varicose veins, skin disorders, blood disorders and liver, spleen, kidney, bladder, pancreatic stress and much more.
