What is Gua Sha?

Gua Sha is a Chinese word where Gua = skin scraping and sha = the redness/coloration that appears. Gua Sha can be done using a variety of tools, but we mostly use a jade stone. Practitioners use this tool to scrape along the channels of the body that we feel have issues of Qi (energy in the body) and Blood Stagnation (areas where you may feel pain or soreness or aches). The scraping brings the “sha” to the surface, allowing Qi and Blood to move freely, for healing to happen, with the aches, pains, and soreness to dissipate. The color o the “sha” also helps practitioners reinforce diagnosis for treatment. Most patients find the sensation similar to a deep tissue massage and marks left behind are only temporary and last usually only 2-5 days. Based on diagnosis, a practitioner can add this after acupuncture treatment.