While most people are now relatively familiar with the practice of acupuncture, there are a multitude of adjunct therapies used under the scope of Chinese Medicine that remain foreign to westerners. Olympic athletes like Michael Phelps have helped put the practice of cupping into the public eye with highly visible and circular marks left on the skin from this technique that involves suction. A somewhat similar but lesser known healing approach that has been used throughout Asia for centuries is called Gua Sha. This hands on medical treatment uses press strokes and friction with a soft edged tool against the skin to bring to the surface small red dots of congested blood in surface tissue. With repeated and even strokes, these red dots called petechiae arise to the surface and range from a bright red to a deep and dark purple. The color is an indication of how chronic and long standing the stagnation in the tissue is. If there is no sha or stagnation of blood present, the act of press stroking on the skin only causes a pink blush to appear indicating more blood being brought to the surface. Unlike needling techniques, this gives the patient and practitioner a visible cue of what is happening under the surface. In fact, one of my teachers would jokingly refer to this technique as a Chinese x-ray as the areas of congestion and pain would become visibly speckled while other areas would not change at all.
Gua Sha is used in practice for a variety of issues ranging from muscular pain to asthmatic wheezing. A study done in 2007 looked at the effects of Gua Sha on microcirculation to the surface tissues and showed a four-fold increase, while another study in 2011 reported this technique brought about a reduction in inflammation and a stimulation of the immune system. Due to these far-reaching effects, Gua Sha is used to help resolve pain, promote normal circulation to the muscles, tissues and organs, and support conditions involving the upper respiratory and digestive systems. It is often used during an acute onset of sickness as it mimics sweating and can help resolve a fever. Due to the simplicity of applying this technique and its range of applications, Gua Sha is a commonly used home remedy throughout many Asian cultures. Much like we are familiar with the healing benefits of a bowl of chicken soup during sickness, Gua Sha is a folk remedy used by grandmothers and practitioners alike throughout the world.
While the benefits of Gua Sha are numerous, the most common clinical application in my experience has been using it to treat pain. There is a traditional saying in Chinese Medicine that pain is caused by obstruction of the flow of Qi or Blood. In order to address the pain, one must address the obstruction. While the complexities of how and why those obstructions occur are beyond the scope of this article, Gua Sha is one of the many tools used by acupuncturists to address this issue and is often used in conjunction with acupuncture needles. The first time I realized the powerful effects it could have on helping resolve obstruction was with a patient that came to see me for a constant pain she felt in her upper arm. She had been in a motorcycle accident years prior and suffered from a sense of consistent pressure and pain around her bicep along with a cold and occasionally numb sensation down her arm into her hand. She described it as if she was always wearing a blood pressure cuff that was over inflated and squeezing too tightly. When I applied Gua Sha to the old injury, an extremely dark purple petechiae rose to the surface of the tissue, and her sense of improvement in pain, circulation and warmth to the area was almost immediate. While it took a couple of sessions to greatly improve, the use of Gua Sha in this case was indispensable and opened me up to the power of this simple yet potent technique.
For further information or to schedule an appointment please contact Ramie Holmquist, LAc at Alison Palmer Physical Therapy and Wellness Center at #307-752-1799. We are located in the Cimarron Lodge at the bottom of lift 7. Wellness is the full integration of mind, body and spirit. We look forward to helping you towards a healthier life.