In my hometown, whenever I had a headache or fever, my grandparents would always perform gua sha on me. But sometimes, my friends experience pain during gua sha without any sha (red marks). What should they do in this case?
What to Do If Gua Sha Is Painful without Sha
If gua sha is painful but no sha appears, it is important not to increase the pressure in order to induce sha. Doing so may cause rupture of superficial blood vessels. Just follow the normal duration and pressure of gua sha, and scrape all areas to open the pores. Because if the gua sha technique is correct, it doesn't matter if there is no sha.
Why Can't Sha Be Produced during Gua Sha
1. Deficiency of Qi and Blood
If sha cannot be produced during gua sha, it may be due to deficiency of Qi and blood in the body.
In Chinese medicine, sha is seen as a manifestation of abundant Qi and blood. Sha is the toxins and waste filtered out by intensified Qi in the blood and body fluids. Most people will experience sha after treatment, but some people may not. According to Chinese medicine theory, this is due to deficiency of Qi and blood in the body, which means that Qi and blood cannot fully nourish the skin pores. Even if strong pressure is applied during gua sha, it is difficult to achieve the desired sha effect.
2. Thick Fat Layer
Sometimes, excessive body weight or strong physique can also prevent the production of sha during gua sha.
This is because in some overweight or strong individuals, the excess subcutaneous fat buffers the gua sha action, preventing the stimulation of Yang Qi (excessive oil outside the capillaries). As a result, even if gua sha is painful, no sha is produced.
3. Recent Gua Sha Session
Some people may feel refreshed after gua sha and continue to perform gua sha even if their body is healthy. In this case, if the previous gua sha sessions have already eliminated the toxins from the body, there may not be any toxins produced in the short term, even if gua sha is painful.
Can You Take a Shower If No Sha Is Produced during Gua Sha
If no sha is produced during gua sha, it is not recommended to take a shower immediately.
During the gua sha process, the pores are opened using a gua sha board, and the body may experience redness and local heat. In this case, it is advised to avoid cold water within 3 hours to prevent cold and dampness from invading the body and causing a cold. If taking a hot shower, it is recommended to wait for 1 hour before doing so.
Is It Necessary to Apply Strong Pressure during Gua Sha
It is not necessary to apply excessive pressure during gua sha.
Excessive pressure during gua sha most commonly leads to skin damage, especially in the elderly and children, who should be particularly cautious. Gua sha can result in a large amount of metabolic waste being excreted into the interstitial fluid, which is then eliminated through urine by the kidneys. If excessive pressure is applied and the kidneys are already weak, it can lead to kidney damage.
How to Perform Gua Sha
During scraping, the pressure should be evenly applied and moderate. The force should gradually increase and should not be too light or too heavy. At the same time, the scraping area should be as long as possible. The order of gua sha is generally from the head, neck, back, chest, abdomen, upper limbs, to lower limbs, from top to bottom, from inside to outside, in one direction only. It should be avoided to scrape back and forth. Scrape one area (meridian) well before moving on to another area (meridian). The speed of scraping should be natural and smooth, stopping when local sha spots or slight purplish-red patches appear. The amount of sha should not be forced, and blindly pursuing the degree of sha should be avoided to prevent subcutaneous bleeding caused by mechanical action.
What Does Easy Sha Production Indicate
Easy sha production indicates the presence of toxins and stagnation in the body.
"Sha" is the "stagnant impurities" in the meridians, commonly known as toxic sha. It hinders the circulation of Qi and blood, the exchange of nutrients and metabolic waste, and triggers tissue and organ damage. "Sha" is a harmful toxin that causes many diseases and accelerates human aging. It can also be said that stasis blood and pathological substances separated from the microcirculation are called sha. If a healthy person performs gua sha, there is generally no sha, only skin redness, local heat, and a relaxed body. Easy sha production indicates the presence of sha toxins in the body.
Benefits of Gua Sha on the Back
1. Promotes Blood Circulation and Dispels Stagnation
Gua sha can regulate muscle contraction and relaxation, adjust the pressure between tissues, and promote blood circulation around the scraped area. This increases tissue flow, thus playing a role in "activating blood and dispelling stasis" and "dispelling stasis and promoting regeneration."
2. Prevents Diseases and Promotes Health
Back gua sha therapy has good effects on painful diseases, cold and fever, sub-health conditions, disease prevention and health promotion, and mild organ dysfunction.
3. Soothes Tendons and Activates Channels
Back gua sha eliminates painful lesions and relaxes tense muscles. If tense muscles are relaxed, pain and compression symptoms can be significantly reduced or eliminated. At the same time, it is beneficial for the repair of lesions.
4. Eliminates Toxins
The gua sha process (scraping the skin to induce sha) causes local tissues to become highly congested, blood vessels to dilate due to stimulation, blood flow and lymphatic fluid to increase, phagocytic activity and transportation capacity to enhance, and accelerates the elimination of waste and toxins from the body. This purifies the blood, increases overall resistance, alleviates the condition, and promotes recovery.
5. Adjusts Yin and Yang
By scraping the corresponding acupoints on the skin of the lesion during gua sha, the skin will show blue or purple congestion, allowing the pores to open and unblock, and various pathogenic factors such as wind, cold, phlegm, dampness, stasis blood, heat, and pus can be expelled from the skin, allowing the meridians to dredge.
Who Should Avoid Gua Sha
1. Gua sha therapy should be avoided on areas with abscesses, ulcers, sores, rashes, or unknown lumps on the surface of the body. Otherwise, it may cause infection and spread of the wound. Acute pain from sprains or injuries and fractures should not be treated with gua sha therapy, as it may aggravate bleeding at the site of injury.
2. People with severe cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, liver and kidney dysfunction, or systemic edema should not undergo gua sha therapy. Gua sha therapy increases subcutaneous congestion, enhances blood circulation, and puts additional burden on the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys, which can worsen the condition.
3. People with skin ulcers or other skin diseases should not undergo gua sha therapy because gua sha involves scraping the surface of the skin, and if there are ulcers, it can easily cause rupture and infection, worsening the condition.
4. People with hemophilia or leukemia should be cautious with gua sha therapy. Since gua sha can cause local congestion, those with low platelet counts should be careful. Gua sha should not be performed on areas with injuries, such as bruised arms, broken skin on the back, or leg fractures.
5. Pregnant women are not suitable for gua sha therapy, especially on the abdomen and lumbar region, as it can easily cause miscarriage.
6. People with varicose veins in the lower limbs should generally avoid gua sha therapy. If gua sha is necessary, it should be done with caution, scraping from the bottom to the top, and using gentle techniques. Gua sha can cause local pain, and failure to avoid wind and cold after gua sha can lead to cold and other conditions.
