Guasha is a commonly used method in traditional Chinese medicine for preventing and treating diseases. It is simple and safe to operate, but some people may experience diarrhea after guasha. So, does diarrhea after guasha mean detoxification?
Is diarrhea after guasha a detoxification?
Diarrhea after guasha does not necessarily mean detoxification. The detoxification effect of guasha mainly comes from the process of "chizi" (appearance of sha). It is not achieved through intestinal excretion.
According to modern medical research, during the occurrence of many diseases, toxins and toxic substances are produced due to the invasion of pathogenic factors such as bacteria and viruses. Guasha therapy can stimulate the skin at specific locations by scraping, causing congestion and rupture of capillaries, resulting in autohemolysis and the discharge of impure qi from the inside to the outside. This allows the toxins that have been retained in the body to be excreted. Therefore, congestion or congestion points can be seen under the mucous membranes and skin, which is called "chizi" or "sha".
In other words, when a disease occurs, the immune cells in the body fight against bacteria and viruses, resulting in the accumulation of pathological metabolites in the body. This leads to abnormal capillary permeability during guasha, resulting in the appearance of sha. Therefore, guasha detoxification mainly relies on the appearance of sha. Diarrhea after guasha may be caused by other reasons and is not related to detoxification.
Why does diarrhea occur after guasha?
1. Stimulation of gastrointestinal meridian acupoints
Diarrhea after guasha may be caused by the stimulation of acupoints along the gastrointestinal meridian.
Guasha therapy uses a guasha board to scrape and stimulate specific acupoints along the meridians of the body, achieving the effect of preventing and treating diseases. Guasha also has a bidirectional regulatory effect, where guasha can tonify qi and blood for those who are weak, and expel external pathogens for those who are strong. Different parts require different tonifying or purging techniques, resulting in different effects.
Therefore, if someone who is unfamiliar with acupoints performs guasha and uses incorrect techniques, it may stimulate the acupoints of the gastrointestinal meridian, accelerate gastrointestinal peristalsis, and lead to diarrhea.
2. Pre-existing gastrointestinal diseases
Some people may experience diarrhea after guasha, which may be unrelated to guasha but due to pre-existing conditions such as enteritis, indigestion, gastroenteritis, or heatstroke.
3. Exposure to cold during guasha
Some individuals with poor constitution may experience diarrhea after guasha if their abdomen gets cold during the process.
Since guasha requires removing clothing, it is easy to catch a cold. Therefore, it is important to close doors and windows, avoid cold drafts, or use a towel to keep the abdomen warm during guasha.
Does itchiness during guasha indicate detoxification?
Itchiness of the skin after guasha does not indicate detoxification.
Guasha involves scraping specific acupoints on the body using a guasha board, causing repeated scraping and friction. This leads to the appearance of "sha" on the skin, achieving the effect of promoting blood circulation, dispelling evil, and detoxifying. However, the appearance of "sha" is actually the result of rupture and bleeding of superficial capillaries, with blood seeping into local tissues, which helps to dredge stasis and regulate body balance.
Since guasha can cause damage to the superficial layer of the skin, it is normal to feel a burning or itching sensation in the guasha area. However, this should not be considered as an indication of detoxification.
Detoxification reactions after guasha
The main function of guasha is to relax tendons, regulate yin and yang, and its detoxification effect is mainly achieved by promoting metabolism. The only detoxification reaction is the appearance of "sha." We can judge the health status of the person being guashaed based on the appearance of "sha."
1. Scattered sha points
Appearance: Light red or red scattered sha points, which are basically at the same level as other skin areas.
Health indication: Indicates good health. This mild microcirculation disorder can resolve itself through self-regulation of the body.
2. Mild sha appearance
Appearance: Multiple shallow red or red patches with a diameter of 1-2 centimeters, not higher than the skin.
Health indication: Mild microcirculation disorder, indicating mild oxygen deficiency in meridians for a short period of time. Seen in sub-healthy individuals without subjective symptoms.
3. Moderate sha appearance
Appearance: Multiple purple-red or bluish patches with a diameter larger than 2 centimeters, at the same level as or slightly higher than the skin.
Health indication: Moderate microcirculation disorder, indicating moderate oxygen deficiency in meridians for a longer period of time. Can be seen in sub-healthy or diseased individuals, sometimes with symptomatic manifestations.
4. Severe sha appearance
Appearance: One or more dark bluish or dark black raised patches with a diameter larger than 2 centimeters, significantly higher than other areas.
Health indication: Severe microcirculation disorder, severe oxygen deficiency in meridians for a longer period of time. Can be seen in more severe sub-healthy or diseased individuals, often with symptomatic manifestations.
Is guasha therapy scientifically supported?
1. Neurostimulation effect
When a disease occurs, moderate stimulation of certain acupoints or specific parts of the body through scraping can produce a pain effect, stimulating the peripheral nerves or receptors, and through the transmission of neurohumoral regulation, send signals to the central nervous system. Through the analysis and synthesis of the central nervous system, it can achieve a coordinating effect on various functions of the body, and achieve a new balance.
2. Thermal effect
Scraping a specific area can generate heat, causing dilation of microvessels and capillaries in the local area, increasing the blood volume and blood flow in the local area. This is beneficial for the repair, renewal, and functional recovery of damaged tissues, and can establish a healthcare effect that conforms to the natural physiological circulation of the body.
The above effects work together, providing nutrition and oxygen supplement to the diseased organs, tissues, and cells, ensuring smooth blood circulation throughout the body, promoting the body's metabolism, allowing sweat glands to become congested and open, and achieving the effects of dispelling pathogenic factors and resolving them. This helps maintain unobstructed qi and blood circulation throughout the body, reactivating damaged cells, and achieving balance and coordination in the five viscera and six bowels, leading to a healthier body.
Precautions for guasha therapy
1. Precautions before guasha
1. Guasha therapy requires exposing the skin and opening the pores. If exposed to cold wind, pathogenic factors can directly enter the body through the open pores, affecting the efficacy of guasha and potentially causing new diseases. Therefore, it is important to choose a good treatment place with fresh and well-ventilated air, pay attention to keeping warm, avoid drafts, and minimize skin exposure.
2. Choose a comfortable position for guasha to facilitate scraping and prevent dizziness.
3. Strictly disinfect guasha tools to avoid cross-infection. Before scraping, carefully check the guasha tools to avoid skin damage.
4. The hands of the practitioner should also be disinfected.
5. It is necessary to explain the general knowledge of guasha to the patient before scraping to eliminate their fear and obtain cooperation, in order to prevent dizziness during the process.
6. Avoid guasha treatment when the patient is excessively hungry, full, or under excessive stress.
2. Precautions during guasha
1. The scraping technique should be applied evenly and with appropriate pressure, depending on the individual's tolerance, until "sha" appears.
2. Infants, young children, and the elderly should be treated with light scraping techniques.
3. Do not pursue "sha" at all costs by using excessive force or prolonging the guasha time. The appearance of "sha" is influenced by various factors. In general, blood stasis is more likely to cause "sha"; excess and heat conditions are more likely to cause "sha"; deficiency and cold conditions are less likely to cause "sha"; excessive medication, especially the use of hormonal drugs, make it difficult to produce "sha"; obese individuals or those with well-developed muscles are less likely to produce "sha"; yin meridians are less likely to produce "sha"; "sha" is less likely to appear in low room temperatures.
4. During the guasha process, frequently inquire about the patient's sensations. If dizziness occurs, such as fatigue, dizziness, pale complexion, nausea, cold sweats, palpitations, cold limbs, or a decrease in blood pressure, coma, immediately stop guasha. Comfort the patient and prevent panic, help them lie down, keep warm, and provide warm water or sugar water. If the symptoms do not improve, lightly press the angles of the guasha board on the water groove acupoint, avoiding the appearance of edema after pressing too hard. Perform purging guasha on the Baihui acupoint and Yongquan acupoint. After the patient's condition improves, continue guasha on the Neiguan acupoint and Zusanli acupoint.
3. Precautions after guasha
1. Guasha treatment can open the sweat pores and discharge pathogenic factors. It also consumes some body fluids. Therefore, after guasha, the patient should drink a cup of warm water and rest for a while.
2. To prevent invasion of pathogenic factors after guasha, wait for the pores on the skin to close and return to their original state before taking a bath, which usually takes about 3 hours.
3. For patients with complex and critical conditions, guasha therapy should be used in conjunction with other treatments, such as medication, to avoid delaying treatment.
What are the contraindications of guasha therapy?
Although guasha therapy can be used to treat various conditions, it also has precautions and contraindications.
1. Patients with bleeding tendencies should not use or use guasha therapy with caution. Conditions such as thrombocytopenia, allergic purpura, leukemia, etc., should not be treated with purging guasha, but tonifying or balanced purging guasha can be used instead.
2. For critical conditions such as acute infectious diseases and severe heart diseases, immediate hospitalization for observation and treatment is necessary. If no other options are available, guasha therapy can be used temporarily for emergency rescue to buy time and treatment opportunities.
3. Newly fractured areas should not be guashaed until the fracture has healed. Guasha should also be avoided on surgical scars for the first two months. Guasha should be used with caution on scarred areas after surgery for malignant tumors.
4. Infectious skin diseases, such as boils, abscesses, scars, ulcers, sexually transmitted skin diseases, and lumps of unknown origin on the skin, should not be directly scraped.
5. The lower abdomen of pregnant women and women during menstruation should not be guashaed, as well as acupoints such as Sanyinjiao, Hegu, Zusanli, etc., on the face of women. The scraping technique should be light, using tonifying guasha.
6. Those who are afraid of or allergic to guasha should not use this method.
7. Pregnant women and women during menstruation should avoid guasha on the lower abdomen and acupoints such as Sanyinjiao and Zusanli. The scraping technique should be light, using tonifying guasha.
