Gua sha refers to a traditional method of treatment where the skin is repeatedly scraped using a blunt-edged tool such as a copper coin or porcelain spoon, resulting in red or purple bruising under the skin. It is believed to have the effects of opening up the meridians, expelling evil qi, and regulating the flow of qi and blood.
1. Preparation:
- Treatment plate
- Copper coin or porcelain spoon
- Lubricant (such as sesame oil, peanut oil, or paraffin oil)
2. Procedure:
(1) Assume a proper position. Typically, a prone or sitting position is used for scraping the back, while a supine position is used for scraping the chest and abdomen. Expose the area that needs to be treated.
(2) Dip the copper coin or porcelain spoon into the lubricant and scrape along both sides of the spine on the back, starting from the top and moving downwards. Repeat this process 20-30 times until red or purple marks appear on the skin. Then, start scraping from the Dazhui acupoint and move outwards, scraping approximately 15 times. Repeat this process for the lung shu, heart shu, diaphragm shu, liver shu, and spleen shu acupoints along the intercostal spaces, scraping approximately 15 times for each. This should result in 6-8 curved marks on each side of the spine. For the upper abdomen, scrape vertically from the Zhongwan and Liangmen acupoints.
(3) The neck can be scraped from top to bottom, and the cubital fossa can be scraped as well.
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