Gua Sha is an ancient Chinese practice that dates back thousands of years. Gua means to “scrape” and Sha translates to “petechia” which are tiny, flat red or purple spots that come up to the surface level of the skin.

Gua Sha is a scraping technique used in Chinese medicine, it is commonly performed on the upper back.

Sha is a term that describes blood congestion in the surface tissue, which elicits pain. This ancient practice is performed to help resolve pain and spasms; it can help release connective tissue adhesions and break down scar tissue. This helps improve blood circulation to the muscles and tissues. Gua Sha can be done almost anywhere on the body; it is typically applied to areas where there is pain or tightness in the back, neck, hamstrings, and thighs.

It is often used as an adjunct therapy to acupuncture. A treatment typically lasts 5-15 minutes. A therapeutic oil or balm is applied to the skin and a Gua Sha tool is used to glide over the surface of the skin. A scraping motion activates the "sha" reaction under the skin. Gua Sha is very effective in relieving stiff muscles, easing acute and chronic pain, headaches, colds, and fever.

Gua Sha is safe for all ages and we highly recommend it for our pediatric patients that may have a fear of needles.