Gua sha is a traditional East Asian medicine technique. It’s often used to relieve muscle stress and discomfort, but there’s been little research into how effective it is. We investigate whether gua sha is safe and whether it has any negative side effects.
Gua sha helps to transfer energy across the body, also known as qi or chi. The procedure entails rubbing the skin in long strokes with a pad, adding enough pressure to cause slight bruising.
Gua sha can aid in the breakdown of scar tissue and connective tissue, allowing for better joint mobility. The procedure has no significant side effects, but it is not recommended for people who have such medical conditions.
What exactly is gua sha
Gua sha is the practise of applying pressure and scraping the skin with a tool to alleviate pain and tension. This action produces light bruising, which occurs as petechiae or sha, which are purple or red spots.
The Chinese word for scraping is gua sha, which is pronounced gwahshah. Skin grinding, spooning, and coining are other terms for the same thing.
Qi or chi is energy that flows through the body, according to traditional Chinese medicine. Many people assume that in order to be healthy and happy, a person’s qi must be balanced and flowing freely.
People also assume that qi may become blocked, resulting in muscle and joint pain or tension. Gua sha helps to free up this stuck energy in order to reduce aches and stiffness
Blood stasis or stagnation is also a source of pain and disease in traditional East Asian medicine. Gua sha also helps to alleviate symptoms by transferring pooled or stagnant blood.
Instrument aided soft tissue mobilisation is a variant of the procedure used by certain physiotherapists (IASTM). During a massage, a physiotherapist may apply more pressure by using a tool rather than their hands.
Makes use of
Gua sha is most commonly used for muscle and joint pain relief. Musculoskeletal disorders are diseases that affect the muscles and bones. Back pain, tendon strain, and carpal tunnel syndrome are only a few examples.
Gua sha is said to boost the immune system and reduce inflammation, according to practitioners. Gua sha is also used to treat a cold, fever, or lung problems.
Microtrauma refers to minor injuries to the body, such as the bruises caused by gua sha. These cause a reaction in the body that can assist in the breakdown of scar tissue.
Microtrauma can also help with fibrosis, which happens when the body heals with too much connective tissue.
IASTM may be used by physiotherapists to treat connective tissue that isn’t moving joints as well as it can. This issue may be caused by a repetitive strain injury or another ailment. Gua sha is used in conjunction with other therapies including stretching and strengthening exercises.
To see if gua sha works, researchers conducted small experiments on the following groups of people:
Women on the verge of menopause
People who suffer from computer-related neck and shoulder pain
Male weightlifters, to assist in post-workout recovery
People over the age of 50 who suffer from back pain
Perimenopause symptoms such as sweating, insomnia, and headaches were decreased in women who received gua sha.
Gua sha increased range of motion and decreased pain in people who used computers regularly, according to a 2014 report, as compared to a control group that received no care.
Weightlifters who had gua sha treatment felt that lifting weights required less effort after treatment, according to a 2017 report. This could mean that the medication hastens the regeneration of muscles.
Gua sha or a hot pack is used to treat older adults with back pain. Both therapies were equally effective in relieving symptoms, but the effects of gua sha lasted longerTrusted Source.
Those who had gua sha care showed more flexibility and less back pain after a week than the other party.
Risks and side effects
Gua sha causes capillaries, which are tiny blood vessels on the skin’s surface, to burst. The distinctive red or purple bruises known as sha are the result of this.
The bruises normally recover in a few days or a week, and they can be tender during that time. To alleviate pain and minimise swelling, people should take an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen.
The bruised area should be protected and avoided being bumped. Applying an ice pack to the affected area will help to minimise inflammation and pain.
While gua sha practitioners are not expected to break the skin during the procedure, it is possible. A gua sha practitioner should always sterilise their equipment between treatments because damaged skin raises the risk of infection.
Gua sha is not enough for all. Those who should avoid having gua sha include:
Those who suffer from skin or vein problems
People who bleed easily
Who are on blood-thinning medicine
Sufferers with deep vein thrombosis
Those that have an illness, tumour, or a wound that has not completely healed
Who have a pacemaker or an internal defibrillator implanted.
Is gua sha a traumatic experience
Although the treatment is not meant to be painful, gua sha causes swelling on purpose, which can cause discomfort for some people. Within a few days, these bruises should fade.
Scraping the skin with a spoon or coin was common in the past, but nowadays, therapists use a lightweight, rounded-edged hand-held instrument.
Gua sha instruments are often weighted to assist in the application of pressure by the practitioner conducting the operation.
Some products, such as bian stone, jade, and rose quartz, are thought to have a healing energy by practitioners of traditional East Asian medicine. When performing IASTM or gua sha in a clinic, medical grade stainless steel is frequently used.
Oil will be applied to the region of the body being handled, allowing the therapist to transfer the tool more easily over the skin.
The gua sha practitioner will use quick, firm strokes in one direction to press the tool into the body. An individual can need to lie face down on a massage table if gua sha is being performed on the back or backs of the legs.
