Many people enjoy gua sha because it is easy to perform and has significant health benefits. But how exactly is gua sha done? Below, we will explain the correct gua sha method so that everyone can "scrape" their way to good health.
First, make sure to disinfect the gua sha board. The scraping time for each area is generally 3 to 5 minutes, with a maximum of 20 minutes. For patients who do not have sha (red marks) or have minimal sha, do not force the sha to appear. The principle is to make the patient feel comfortable. The number of gua sha sessions is usually once every 3 to 5 days, after the sha has subsided from the previous session. It is normal for the skin to feel slightly painful or itchy for 1 to 2 days after sha appears.
Here are the steps:
1. The patient should assume a comfortable position and expose the treatment area. Clean the area with warm water.
2. Dip a smooth-edged spoon (or teaspoon, copper coin, etc.) into sesame oil (or any other vegetable oil or water). Scrape the treatment area repeatedly in one direction.
3. The scraping direction is generally from top to bottom, or from the middle of the body towards the sides, or from the inside to the outside each time. Avoid back and forth scraping. Approximately 20 strokes per area should be sufficient, and scraping should stop once the skin shows deep red stripes.
4. The usual gua sha areas are the patient's back or the sides of the neck. Depending on the condition, gua sha can also be performed on the sides of the neck in front of the larynx, the sides of the chest or spine, the inner sides of the arms, or the inner sides of the knees. The choice of gua sha areas should be based on the patient's condition.
5. Each area can have 2 to 4 or 4 to 8 "blood marks" from scraping. The shape of the "blood marks" can be straight or curved, depending on the area.
6. A smaller scraping tool can be used to scrape the acupoints. Commonly used acupoints include Zusanli, Tiantu, Quchi, and some back shu points. Scraping the acupoints not only has the therapeutic effect of gua sha itself, but also helps to dredge the meridians and promote blood circulation.
Scraping the acupoints is suitable for abdominal pain, gastrointestinal flu, heatstroke-induced nausea, and muscle or general body soreness caused by sha.
