Gua sha is a form of external treatment in traditional Chinese medicine, which is now widely used as a method of health preservation. It has a wide range of benefits, not only for health maintenance but also for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. For example, it can effectively alleviate menstrual pain in women. So, how does gua sha help with menstrual pain? Let's take a look!
Many women experience menstrual pain. In mild cases, there may be slight abdominal and lower back pain. In more severe cases, there may be intense pain in the lower abdomen accompanied by unbearable bloating. Some women may even faint. No matter what kind of menstrual pain you experience, try the following gua sha methods. They can effectively relieve menstrual pain and even prevent it!
Method 1: Use a gua sha board to vertically massage the lower abdomen area on the radial side of the second metacarpal bone of the index finger. Carefully search for tender and sensitive points in this area and focus on massaging them.
Method 2: Use the corner of the gua sha board to gently scrape the inner and outer sides of the heel. This area corresponds to the genital organs. While scraping, look for tender and sensitive points and focus on scraping them.
Prevention method: During the week before menstruation, scrape the corresponding area of the uterus and ovaries in the lumbar-sacral region to prevent menstrual pain. This area is located between the 2nd and 4th sacral vertebrae in the lumbar-sacral region and has a width of 3 inches on each side.
The specific method is to apply gua sha oil and scrape the middle of the lumbar-sacral region from top to bottom, then use the corner of the gua sha board to scrape the Eight Liao points on both sides, and finally scrape the bladder meridian on the same horizontal segment on both sides. Scrape each area 20-30 times. For those with a history of menstrual pain, there may be blood stasis in this area. Scraping before menstruation can activate blood circulation and effectively prevent menstrual pain. For menstrual pain caused by conditions such as endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and uterine fibroids, the corresponding conditions should be treated simultaneously with gua sha.
How to improve the effectiveness of gua sha:
1. Use specialized gua sha boards and gua sha cream or gua sha oil. Specialized gua sha boards are designed according to the anatomical structure of the human body and are suitable for stimulating meridian points and holographic acupoints with the appropriate intensity. Gua sha cream has good lubrication and contains Chinese herbal ingredients that are beneficial to the skin, which can protect the skin, prevent infections, and improve the effectiveness of the treatment.
2. Master the correct technique and replenishing and draining methods. The technique for gua sha should vary depending on individual constitution, severity of the condition, and duration of the illness.
3. Select the correct scraping areas. The folk method of "scrape where it hurts" is not sufficient. Only by selecting the appropriate meridian points according to different conditions can the effectiveness of gua sha be significant.
