Cold headache is a common symptom in daily life, and it can be effectively relieved by traditional Chinese guasha therapy. So, where should we guasha for cold headache?
Where to Guasha for Cold Headache
I. Guasha Areas
1. Wind-cold cold headache
Guasha the Lieque acupoint of the Lung Meridian of the Hand Taiyin to promote lung function and release the exterior; guasha the Fengmen and Feishu acupoints of the Urinary Bladder Meridian of the Foot Taiyang to dispel wind and cold; guasha the Fengchi and Hegu acupoints to relax the muscles and release the exterior.
2. Wind-heat cold headache
Guasha the Dazhui acupoint to relieve heat; guasha the Quchi, Waiguan, and Yangxi acupoints to clear lung heat.
II. Guasha Techniques
1. Guasha the back of the head and neck
Use the thicker edge of the guasha board to scrape from top to bottom on the back of the head and neck, along the neck muscles to the shoulder and back, with a focus on emphasizing guasha the Dazhui and Fengchi acupoints.
2. Guasha the back
Scrape from top to bottom along the Urinary Bladder Meridian of the Foot Taiyang, with a focus on guasha the Fengmen and Feishu acupoints.
3. Guasha the inner side of the upper limb
Scrape along the Lung Meridian of the Hand Taiyin, with a focus on guasha the Lieque acupoint.
4. Guasha the outer side of the upper limb
Scrape from the outer side of the elbow along the Large Intestine Meridian of the Hand Yangming, with a focus on emphasizing guasha the Quchi, Waiguan, Yangxi, and Hegu acupoints.
III. Indications
Guasha therapy is suitable for relieving headache and throat pain caused by wind-heat cold and wind-cold cold.
Wind-cold cold is characterized by mild fever, aversion to cold, soreness in limbs, stuffy nose, runny nose, and cough; while wind-heat cold is characterized by severe fever, mild aversion to cold, dizziness, dry nose, and cough with phlegm.
Guasha Areas for Migraine
1. Acupoint selection:
Fengchi, Yifeng, Touwei, Shuai Gu, Taiyang, Hegu, Lieque, Yanglingquan, Fenglong, Xuehai, Zusanli, Yintang.
2. Guasha techniques:
(1) Apply some red flower oil evenly on Fengchi, Hegu, Lieque, Yanglingquan, Fenglong, Xuehai, Zusanli, and Yintang acupoints.
(2) Use the corner of the guasha board to scrape on the smaller area or grooves and depressions of the guasha sites such as Fengchi, Hegu, Lieque, Yanglingquan, and Yintang acupoints.
(3) Use the flat edge of the guasha board to scrape diagonally on the guasha sites such as Fenglong, Xuehai, and Zusanli.
(4) Use the thumb to rub the guasha sites such as Yifeng, Touwei, Shuai Gu, and Taiyang, with moderate pressure.
(5) Disinfect Taiyang and Yintang acupoints strictly, then use a sterilized small triangular needle to prick and extract 3-5 drops of blood.
3. Indications:
According to traditional Chinese medicine, the main cause of migraine is liver dysfunction, excessive liver yang, and disturbance of the clear and empty. The guasha methods mentioned above have the effect of soothing the liver and relieving pain, which is suitable for migraine patients. Migraine is characterized by severe, throbbing, and persistent pain, often accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, diarrhea, increased sweating, and rapid heart rate.
Precautions for Guasha Therapy
I. Precautions before Guasha
1. Guasha therapy requires exposed skin, and the skin pores open during guasha. If exposed to the external evil of wind and cold, the evil qi can directly enter the body through the open pores, affecting the effectiveness of guasha therapy and easily causing new diseases. Therefore, it is important to choose a good treatment place with fresh and well-ventilated air, pay attention to keeping warm, and avoid drafts. Try to expose less skin.
2. Choose a comfortable guasha position to facilitate scraping and prevent dizziness during guasha.
3. Strictly disinfect guasha tools to prevent cross-infection. Before guasha, carefully check the guasha tools to avoid scraping the skin.
4. The hands of the practitioner should also be disinfected.
5. Before guasha, explain the general knowledge of guasha to the patient, eliminate their fear, and obtain their cooperation to avoid dizziness during guasha.
6. Avoid guasha treatment when the patient is extremely hungry, full, or overly tense.
II. Precautions during Guasha
1. Use even and moderate force during scraping, based on the patient's tolerance, until sha (petechiae or redness) appears.
2. For infants, children, and the elderly, use gentle force during scraping.
3. Do not pursue sha excessively and use heavy force or prolong the guasha time. The amount of sha is influenced by various factors. Generally, blood stasis syndrome produces more sha; excess syndrome and heat syndrome produce more sha; deficiency syndrome and cold syndrome produce less sha; excessive medication, especially the use of hormone drugs, make it difficult to produce sha; obese individuals and those with well-developed muscles are less likely to produce sha; sha is less likely to appear on yin meridians compared to yang meridians; sha is less likely to appear when the room temperature is low.
4. During the scraping process, frequently ask the patient about their feelings. If dizziness occurs, such as fatigue, dizziness, pale complexion, nausea, cold sweats, palpitations, cold limbs, or decreased blood pressure, and even coma, stop guasha immediately. Comfort the patient and help them lie down, keep them warm, and give them warm water or sugar water. If the symptoms do not improve, gently press the water groove acupoint with the corner of the guasha board to avoid edema after heavy pressing. Apply sha-scraping method on Baihui and Yongquan acupoints. After the patient's condition improves, continue guasha on Neiguan and Zusanli acupoints.
III. Precautions after Guasha
1. Guasha therapy promotes sweating and eliminates external evils, which consumes some of the body's fluid. Therefore, after guasha, drink a cup of warm water and rest for a while.
2. After guasha therapy, to avoid the invasion of external wind and cold, wait for the skin pores to close and return to their original state before taking a bath, usually about 3 hours.
3. For some patients with complex and critical conditions, guasha therapy should be accompanied by other treatments, such as medication, to avoid delaying the condition.
Contraindications of Guasha Therapy
Although guasha therapy can be used to treat various diseases, it also has precautions and contraindications.
1. Patients with bleeding tendencies should not use or use guasha therapy cautiously. Examples include thrombocytopenic disorders, allergic purpura, leukemia, etc. For these patients, it is not appropriate to use the sha-scraping method, but the reinforcing method or the method of reinforcing and reducing should be used.
2. For critically ill patients with conditions such as acute infectious diseases and severe heart disease, they should be immediately hospitalized for observation and treatment. If no other methods are available, guasha therapy can be used temporarily for emergency treatment to buy time and treatment opportunities.
3. Newly fractured areas should not be guasha-treated until the fracture is healed. Guasha should also be avoided on surgical scars until two months later. Guasha should be done with caution on scar areas of patients after surgery for malignant tumors.
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. Guasha on the lower abdomen of elderly, weak individuals, on an empty stomach, and during menstrual periods for women should be avoided. Guasha on the face of women should be done with a small area, using the reinforcing method.
6. Guasha therapy should be avoided for those who fear or are allergic to guasha.
7. Pregnant women and women during menstrual periods should not have guasha on the lower abdomen or acupoints such as Sanyinjiao, Hegu, and Zusanli. The guasha technique should be gentle and using the reinforcing method.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Guasha Therapy
1. Advantages
(1) Promotes metabolism and waste elimination. The body undergoes continuous metabolism every day, and the waste produced during the metabolism needs to be eliminated in a timely manner. Guasha can promptly scrape the metabolic "garbage" in the body to the surface, deposit it in the subcutaneous pores, promote blood circulation, and restore natural metabolic vitality.
(2) Relaxes tendons and activates collaterals. More and more people suffer from cervical spondylosis, shoulder periarthritis, and back pain due to soft tissue damage. When the "soft tissues" (joint capsules, ligaments, fascia, etc.) of the body are injured, the muscles will be in a state of tension, contraction, or even spasm, resulting in pain symptoms. If not treated in time, it can cause varying degrees of adhesion, fibrosis, or scar formation, worsening the condition. Guasha can relax tendons and activate collaterals to relieve pain and help the lesion recover while significantly reducing pain symptoms.
(3) Balances yin and yang. Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the balance of yin and yang in the body. Guasha has a bidirectional regulatory effect on the body's functions, which can improve and adjust the functions of the organs, restoring balance.
2. Disadvantages
The disadvantages of guasha are usually caused by not paying attention to contraindicated individuals and improper operation.
(1) Frequent guasha without moderation can cause damage to the extracorporeal tissues, which not only does not help relieve fatigue but also increases the burden on the body.
(2) For individuals with weak qi and blood, guasha can consume qi. Frequent guasha can lead to mental fatigue, general weakness, dizziness, etc., making the body worse.
(3) For individuals with skin ulcers or other skin diseases, guasha is not a pleasure but a torment, and it can cause more significant damage to the already fragile skin tissue, even leading to infection and worsening the condition.
(4) Guasha should be avoided for some people with blood disorders or impaired heart or liver function, as it can easily cause greater harm to the body.
6 Methods to Quickly Relieve Headaches
Method 1: Comb and massage the painful area
Place the fingertips of both hands on the most painful area of the head, and gently comb and massage back and forth like combing hair for 100 times. Do this before breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day to effectively reduce pain.
Method 2: Soak hands in hot water
When a migraine occurs, soak both hands in warm water for about half an hour to dilate the blood vessels in the hands, reduce blood supply to the brain, and thus alleviate migraines.
Method 3: Eat foods rich in magnesium
Foods rich in magnesium can effectively relieve migraines, such as oranges, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, kelp, soybeans, whole grains, and various green leafy vegetables. In addition, migraine sufferers should try to drink less coffee and red wine.
Method 4: Drink concentrated mint tea
Brew 15 grams of dry mint leaves with just boiled water, let it steep for 5 minutes, and drink it twice a day, morning and evening. It is very helpful for the treatment of migraines.
Method 5: Massage the Yangbai acupoint
In the morning or before bed, use the middle finger of both hands to press and massage the Yangbai acupoint in a circular motion. First, massage clockwise for seven to eight circles, and then counterclockwise for seven to eight circles. Repeat this for several days, and the migraine will be greatly relieved.
Method 6: Hot towel compress
When experiencing a headache, place a clean towel in a basin, soak it in a suitable amount of hot water, wring it slightly, and press it on the patient's eyes, nose, or head and neck acupoints to relieve the symptoms.
