Have you ever visited The Gathering Point and seen Michele scraping a patient’s back with a plastic scraper? Have you wondered what that’s all about? Scraping the skin is an ancient Chinese healing technique called “gua sha.” The word gua (pronounced “gwa”) means “to scrape.” The word sha (pronounced “shaw”) means toxins.

Thousands of years of practice have shown that scraping increases the body’s Qi and removes toxins from the body. Gua sha leaves red marks on the skin because it increases blood circulation to the effected area. However, gua sha treatments are not painful. The edges of the scrapper are rounded, not sharp. Gua sha is enhanced with healing essential oils to help extract toxic waste from the body.

Over 500 studies have been conducted to study the positive effects of gua sha, both for pain relief and improving the body’s immune system. Gua sha can be used to treat neck, shoulder, and back pain; tendinitis; plantar fasciitis; and migraines. It is used to treat earaches, brochitis, and the flu. It can also be used to chronic illnesses such as asthma, hepatitis-B, and hepatitis-C.

Scraping areas with muscle tension seems obvious, but how does gua sha work for chronic health challenges? Scraping is directed to parts of the body that are connected to vital organs. For example, the back of the neck can be scraped to help alleviate asthma symptoms.

Talk to Michele the next time you come to The Gathering Point for acupuncture. Ask her if gua sha is right for you. You’ll be glad that you did.