Nowadays, many people rely on computers and other tools for their work, which often leads to symptoms such as shoulder pain due to long periods of sitting. Scraping therapy, a form of physical therapy, can be used for relieving shoulder pain. But how effective is scraping therapy for shoulder pain and how should it be done?
Is Scraping Therapy Effective for Shoulder Pain?
Scraping therapy has a certain effect on shoulder pain, but its effectiveness is limited.
Shoulder pain is often caused by prolonged sitting, exposure to cold, maintaining a fixed posture for a long time, or chronic strain on the shoulder joints and muscles leading to shoulder periarthritis. Scraping therapy, as a form of physical therapy, can promote blood circulation, remove dampness, activate meridians, and relieve pain, thus playing a certain role in alleviating shoulder pain. However, its effectiveness is limited, so relying solely on scraping therapy is not enough for complete recovery.
Illustration of Scraping Methods for Shoulder Pain
1. Selecting and Puncturing Acupoints
1. For shoulder periarthritis, select Jianjing (GB 21) of the Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian and Tianzong (SI 11) and Jianzhen (SI 9) of the Hand Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian to activate meridians and relieve pain.
2. For dampness, select Quchi (LI 11) of the Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian.
3. For stasis, select Tianzhu (BL 10), Gao Huang (BL 43), Gong Sun (SP 4), Xi Xue (SP 15), and Ge Guan (GB 21) of the Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian to promote blood circulation and unblock meridians.
4. For blood stasis, select Zhong Fu (LU 1) of the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian to remove stasis and unblock obstruction.
2. Scraping Methods
1. Neck and Shoulder
Follow the muscles of the neck and shoulder, scrape from Tianzhu (BL 10) to Zhong Fu (LU 1) in a downward direction, focusing on scraping Tianzhu, Jianjing, and Zhong Fu.
2. Back of the Forearm
Use the rounded edge of the scraping board to press or scrape Quchi (LI 11).
3. Shoulder and Back
Scrape along the midline of the back, from top to bottom, on both sides of the scapula and the Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian, focusing on scraping Po Hu (BL 42), Gao Huang (BL 43), Xi Xue (SP 15), and Ge Guan (GB 21).
Precautions for Scraping Therapy for Shoulder Pain
1. If conditions permit, take X-rays before scraping therapy to exclude joint and bone lesions.
2. For frozen shoulder caused by fractures or dislocations, scraping therapy should be performed after reduction or fracture healing.
3. Pay attention to local warmth, avoid cold exposure, and avoid overexertion to prevent worsening of the condition and affect the effectiveness of treatment.
4. During the treatment period, proper shoulder exercises should be performed in conjunction with scraping therapy, following the principles of persistence, gradual progression, and individual differences.
5. During scraping therapy, the patient can be advised to perform shoulder movements to promote meridian and qi circulation.
Recommended Exercises for Shoulder Pain
You can choose to do some auxiliary upper limb (shoulder) exercises during your daily life, but the intensity should not be too high, and you should gradually increase it to avoid muscle strains.
(1) Finger Climbing Wall: Stand facing a wall and use your fingers to slowly climb up the wall on the affected side, raising your upper limb as high as possible. Mark the highest point on the wall and then slowly move back down. Repeat this exercise, gradually increasing the height.
(2) Hand Pulling: Stand naturally and rotate the affected upper limb inward and backward. Use the healthy hand to pull the affected hand or wrist towards the healthy side and upward gradually.
(3) Spine Touching: Stand naturally and touch the spine process with the pad of your middle finger, gradually moving upward to the maximum limit, hold it for 2 minutes, and then slowly move back down. Repeat this exercise, gradually increasing the height.
(4) Hair Combing: Stand or lie down, bend the affected elbow, bring the forearm forward and upward, and rotate the palm forward (palm facing up) as much as possible. Use the elbow to touch the forehead, imitating the action of wiping off sweat.
(5) Head Pillow: Lie down and cross your fingers with your palms facing up. Place them behind your head (occiput), bring the elbows as close together as possible, and then gradually spread them apart.
(6) Shoulder Rotation: Stand with the affected limb hanging naturally, the elbow extended, and the affected arm moving in a circular motion from front to back. Start with small movements and gradually increase the amplitude, repeating several times.
Note: You don't need to do all 6 exercises every time. You can choose alternate exercises based on your specific condition. Do these exercises 3-5 times a day, with about 30 repetitions for each exercise. Persistence is key, and the specific exercises can vary from person to person, but they can be beneficial for preventing and treating shoulder periarthritis.
What Oil Should I Use for Scraping Therapy for Shoulder Pain?
It is recommended to use oils such as Honghua oil or Huoluo oil as the medium for scraping therapy for shoulder pain.
The use of a medium is necessary in scraping therapy because direct contact between the scraping board and the skin can cause skin abrasions due to excessive friction. Using scraping oil or water as a medium can provide lubrication. When scraping therapy is performed for shoulder pain, the main purpose is to promote meridian circulation, relieve pain, and alleviate muscle fatigue. Using Honghua oil or Huoluo oil as the scraping oil can enhance the effectiveness of scraping therapy.
Can Scraping Therapy Eliminate Nodules?
Directly scraping nodules will not make them disappear.
There are many types of nodules in the human body, and the causes of nodules are also complex. Some nodules are skin diseases, some are small tumors caused by endocrine disorders, and some are boils caused by inflammation. Regardless of the cause of the nodules, it is not recommended to directly stimulate them with external force to avoid ulceration, infection, spreading, or malignant transformation. Scraping nodules should be avoided.
However, in some cases, scraping therapy can have an adjuvant therapeutic effect on nodules. For example, for breast nodules, traditional Chinese medicine believes that breast nodules are caused by emotional stagnation and liver Qi stagnation. Scraping therapy on the corresponding position on the back can soothe the liver and regulate Qi, unblock meridians, and improve the symptoms of breast nodules.
Does Itchiness During Scraping Therapy Indicate Detoxification?
Itchiness of the skin after scraping therapy does not indicate detoxification.
Scraping therapy involves using a specific scraping board to repeatedly scrape and rub specific acupoints on the body, causing local blisters and achieving the effects of promoting blood circulation, removing evil Qi, and detoxifying the body. However, the blisters actually result from the rupture of superficial capillaries in the skin and the infiltration of blood into local tissues, which helps to unblock stagnation and balance the body. After scraping therapy, it is normal to experience a burning or itching sensation on the scraped area, which may feel uncomfortable, but it should not be considered as a sign of detoxification.
What Are the Contraindications for Scraping Therapy?
Although scraping therapy can be used for various diseases, there are also contraindications and precautions.
1. Patients with bleeding tendency should not use or use scraping therapy with caution. For example, patients with thrombocytopenia, allergic purpura, leukemia, etc., should not use purgative scraping therapy, but should use tonifying or balanced purging scraping therapy.
2. For critically ill patients, such as acute infectious diseases, severe heart disease, etc., they should be immediately hospitalized for observation and treatment. If there is no other option, scraping therapy can be used temporarily for emergency treatment to buy time and opportunities for further treatment.
3. Newly occurring fractures should not be scraped until they have healed. Surgical scars should also be avoided for scraping therapy within two months. Scars in the area of malignant tumors after surgery should be treated with caution.
4. Infectious skin diseases, such as boils, abscesses, scars, ulcers, sexually transmitted skin diseases, and unknown lumps on the skin, should not be directly scraped.
5. For elderly and weak patients, fasting, and women during menstruation, the lower abdomen and acupoints such as Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Hegu (LI 4), and Zusanli (ST 36) should not be extensively scraped. The scraping technique should be gentle and tonifying.
6. Patients who fear or are allergic to scraping therapy should not use this therapy.
7. Pregnant women and women during menstruation should not be scraped extensively on the lower abdomen and acupoints such as Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Hegu (LI 4), and Zusanli (ST 36). The scraping technique should be gentle and tonifying.
