Our new Gua Sha Body Tool is a remedy for busy, overworked bodies. To help you get the most of of your massage, Acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner Dr. Kiah McGowan (TCM) shares their how-to.
What is gua sha?
Gua sha is a type of physical therapy that falls under the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It is understood as “scraping therapy”, which is used to soothe discomfort by repeatedly pressing or rubbing a gua sha tool across the skin. Gua means “to rub” and sha refers to the reddened marks (petechiae) that appear at areas of imbalance. Petechiae are superficial broken capillaries, which promote an anti-inflammatory and immune response to improve circulation.
Traditionally, gua sha is thought to improve qi (vital energy) and blood circulation; breaking up stagnation in the acupuncture channels to alleviate tension, knots and pain. TCM also uses gua sha for relief from upper respiratory illnesses and coughs. It can even be used to enhance beauty by sculpting the facial regions, promoting circulation, collagen and elastin production while also depuffing and lifting the skin. Facial gua sha is much gentler and avoids bringing up petechiae. If you’re interested in a tool for facial gua sha, you can find it here.
The new gua sha body tool
If your body is feeling tight, sore and overworked, kit’s new massaging tool is perfect for you. Featuring three differently textured edges, you can provide your muscles some much-needed relief.
How to use gua sha for musculoskeletal issues:
This is a great method for providing relief from pain at the neck, shoulders and back.
• Feel around the area you’d like to focus on for specific spots of achiness, tension or knots.
• Apply your favourite body cream (like Body Nutrition Lotion or Unwind Body Balm) or oil to help the tool glide along the skin’s surface.
• Press and scrape the tool smoothly in one direction until sha appears. If you are trying to avoid sha, I recommend pressing more lightly with less repetition and being mindful of increasing redness of the skin. The redder it gets, the closer to sha you are.
• Use the flat edge for all general areas of muscular pain.
The combed edge is great for working from your neck up in to your scalp, and will feel nice over particularly tight and stubborn knots.
Use the pointed edges to press directly into your knots for 30 seconds, which can be a form of acupressure.
Avoid bony areas and the spine, and focus your treatments on fleshy, muscular areas as well as any knots you found in your palpation.
How to use gua sha for respiratory illnesses
The next time you have a cold or flu, grab your gua sha tool and feel for the spaces between your spine and shoulder blades. Apply your favourite body cream or oil and scrape along the muscles between the shoulder blades until sha appears. You may also work into the nape of the neck. Use the edge of the tool that feels best for you here. Creams containing pungent oils such as clove, cinnamon or ginger are a great option in TCM. However, if you have sensitive skin, be careful with these. Ensure you rug up and cover the areas of treatment afterwards and wear a turtleneck or scarf if treatment was applied to the neck.
If you have a cough, use the more pointed edge of the tool over the chest, moving from your inner chest (your sternum/breastbone) to outer (towards your armpit/shoulder along the lines between the ribs. Repeat these smooth scraping motions until petechiae appear.
Post-gua sha self-care
If you work deeply enough to bring up sha, you’ll notice the marks can look intense. Similarly to cupping marks, these will fade away after a few days. Gua sha shouldn’t be painful, so ensure your treatment is gentle, yet firm. Ideally, you will notice relief from your tension and pain the following day.
Take care of yourself after a gua sha session by:
• Washing your gua sha tool in hot, soapy water.
• Trying not to shower directly after your treatment.
• Protecting the area of treatment from cold or windy weather, sunlight and water.
• Relaxing and resting after your session.
• Avoiding exercise and excessive sweating for a day.
• Drinking ample amounts of water.
• Avoiding alcohol
