Guasha is a commonly used therapeutic method in traditional Chinese medicine for preventing and treating diseases. It is simple and convenient to perform and has gained popularity among many people. So, can guasha be used after childbirth?
Can Guasha Be Used After Childbirth?
Guasha can indeed be used after childbirth.
If after childbirth, there is a deficiency of qi and blood, and insufficiency of vital energy due to improper postpartum care, exposure to cold and dampness, or exposure to wind and cold, improper rest, etc., resulting in symptoms such as abdominal pain and joint pain, guasha can be used to treat these symptoms appropriately.
However, it is important to note that excessive guasha should be avoided as it can deplete the body's vital energy, leading to increased weakness and being detrimental to overall health.
How Long After Childbirth Can Guasha be Used?
It depends on the recovery time.
Since guasha involves stimulating specific meridian acupoints on the body using a guasha board with a certain amount of pressure, and also requires the cooperation of the person being treated in different positions, guasha should only be performed after the wounds on the mother's body have completely healed.
If it was a normal delivery, guasha can usually be performed after 1 month postpartum. However, for caesarean section deliveries, it may be necessary to wait for 2-3 months and have the wounds thoroughly checked for complete recovery before guasha can be performed.
Guasha Points for Postpartum Abdominal Pain
1. Acupoint Selection
Yaoyangguan (GV3), Guanyuan (CV4), Zhongji (CV3), Xuehai (SP10), Zusanli (ST36), Sanyinjiao (SP6).
Method of acupoint selection:
Yaoyangguan: Located in the lower back, in the middle line of the posterior aspect of the fourth lumbar vertebra.
Guanyuan: Located four horizontal fingers below the center of the navel.
Zhongji: Located four inches below the center of the navel.
Xuehai: Located on the inner side of the thigh, two inches above the inner side of the patella, where the inner head of the quadriceps femoris muscle protrudes.
Zusanli: Located three inches below the calf muscle, one inch anterior to the tibia.
Sanyinjiao: Located three inches above the inner ankle, behind the tibia.
2. Guasha Technique
Use a water buffalo horn guasha board and red flower oil as the medium. Adopt a direct guasha technique and a tonifying hand technique.
Guasha sequence: Guasha Yaoyangguan in the lower back; massage Guanyuan and Zhongji in the abdomen; guasha Xuehai, Zusanli, and Sanyinjiao in the lower limbs.
Specific operating method:
(1) Apply red flower oil evenly to the acupoints to be treated.
(2) Use the guasha board to directly contact the patient's skin and repeatedly scrape the selected areas until petechiae appear.
(3) Use an angular guasha technique for Yaoyangguan: Use the corners or edges of the guasha board to scrape smaller areas or grooves and depressions on the treatment site.
(4) Use a flat guasha technique for Xuehai and Zusanli: Use the flat edge of the guasha board to scrape large areas in a parallel direction on the treatment site.
(5) Use an oblique guasha technique for Sanyinjiao: Use the flat edge of the guasha board to scrape in a diagonal direction on the treatment site. The degree of scraping for these acupoints is determined by the appearance of local bleeding points.
(6) Use a thumb kneading technique for Guanyuan and Zhongji, until local soreness and distension are felt.
3. Indications
Guasha has the effect of promoting blood circulation, relieving pain, and is suitable for postpartum blood stasis, deficiency of the Chong and Ren meridians, stagnant flow of qi and blood, lack of nourishment of the meridians, blood deficiency causing pain; or postpartum improper rest, invasion of cold pathogens into the meridians, blood stasis and cold congealing; or emotional discomfort, liver depression and stagnation, blood stasis and internal retention leading to abdominal pain due to incomplete discharge of lochia.
4. Treatment Course
Three treatments constitute one course. Combining it with Chinese herbal medicine produces better results. During the treatment period, patients should avoid cold winds, regulate their emotions, and be cautious with their daily activities.
Precautions for Guasha Therapy
Precautions Before Guasha
1. Guasha therapy requires exposed skin, and during guasha, the sweat pores on the skin are open. If exposed to cold and cold pathogens, the pathogens can directly invade the body through the opened pores, affecting the efficacy of guasha therapy and potentially causing new diseases. Therefore, it is important to choose a good treatment location with fresh and well-ventilated air, pay attention to keeping warm, and avoid drafts when performing guasha, especially in places with drafts during the summer. Expose as little skin as possible.
2. Choose a comfortable position for guasha to facilitate scraping and prevent dizziness from occurring.
3. Strictly disinfect the guasha tools to prevent cross-infection. Before scraping, carefully inspect the guasha tools to avoid skin injuries.
4. The hands of the practitioner should also be disinfected.
5. Before scraping, it is necessary to explain the general knowledge of guasha to the patient, eliminate their fear, gain their cooperation, and avoid dizziness during the treatment.
6. Avoid performing guasha treatment on patients who are excessively hungry, overly full, or excessively nervous.
Precautions During Guasha
1. The scraping technique should be evenly applied and the pressure should be tolerable, scraping until petechiae appear.
2. For infants, young children, and the elderly, the scraping technique should be gentle.
3. Do not blindly pursue petechiae and use excessive force or prolong the guasha time. The amount of petechiae is influenced by various factors. In general, blood stasis tends to produce more petechiae; excess and heat conditions tend to produce more petechiae; deficiency and cold conditions tend to produce fewer petechiae; excessive medication, especially the use of hormonal drugs, makes it difficult to produce petechiae; obese individuals and those with well-developed muscles tend to produce fewer petechiae; yin meridians are less likely to produce petechiae than yang meridians; it is difficult to produce petechiae in a low room temperature.
4. During the scraping 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 drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness, immediately stop guasha. Comfort the patient and avoid tension, help them lie down, keep them warm, and offer warm water or sugar water to drink. If the symptoms do not improve, lightly press the water trench acupoint with the corner of the guasha board, avoiding the appearance of edema after pressing. Apply a draining guasha technique to the Baihui and Yongquan acupoints. After the patient's condition improves, continue guasha on the Neiguan and Zusanli acupoints.
Precautions After Guasha
1. Guasha treatment opens the sweat pores, allowing the expulsion of pathogens. It also consumes some of the body's fluid. Therefore, after guasha treatment, the patient should drink a cup of warm water and rest for a while.
2. After guasha treatment, to prevent the invasion of cold and cold pathogens, the skin pores should be allowed to close and return to their original state before taking a bath. This usually takes about 3 hours.
3. For patients with complex and critically ill conditions, guasha treatment should be combined with other therapies, such as medication, to avoid delaying treatment.
