The past few decades have seen a steady rise in the popularity of Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM in Jacksonville. Most people have heard about acupuncture and reflexology, but only a few know about a centuries old healing technique known as “gua sha therapy.” Westerners sometimes refer to this technique as “spooning” or “coining” because it sometimes involves the use of a spoon or coin to scrape the surface of the skin in order to reinvigorate, refresh, and detoxify the body. While the West is just beginning to realize the awesomeness of this therapy for a myriad of ailments and illnesses, gua sha has been used in Asia for ages since its results are immediate and the technique itself is easy to administer.
According to TCM, injuries and sore muscles are basically obstacles in the flow of blood and chi. it doesn’t matter whether you believe in chi or not, it’s a fact that when you experience soreness in your muscles, rubbing the problems area to increase circulation will help alleviate the pain. This is basically what gua sha therapy does. It begins with a sauna or warm bath, and then, your massage therapist will run a scraping tool after he or she applies massage oils in the affected part of your body. The Chinese believe this frees the blockages to chi flow, and Western medicine explains this as a release of metabolic waste that has accumulated in congested muscles and tissue. The scraping may feel like an intense form of exfoliation, and will result in redness and marks. Don’t be alarmed, these marks and redness will dissipate within a few days after the therapy
Some of the issues plaguing society that can be treated with Chinese gua sha therapy as as follows:
1. PMS
Besides being a perfect way to relieve sore muscles, Gua Sha can also help alleviate patients suffering painful monthly periods. When the principles of reflexology are followed, your massage therapist will scrape other areas of your body to ameliorate the soreness in your stomach.
2. Head colds
Illness affecting the upper respiratory tract has affected us all at one time or another especially during winter when the weather traffic is closed. Your massage therapist will apply the scraping device on your neck, shoulders, and upper back
3. Tired Muscles
People who’ve had a hard workout know very well the horrible feeling that sets in the next day – Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS. The awful DOMS is a practically an inescapable by-product of exercise more so when you’re trying to get back in shape after an extended break. To offset this severe muscle soreness, you need to complement your hard workout with lots of water, stretching, and a round of gua sha therapy to eliminate all the lactic acid in your body and provide the space for new muscles to grow! Gua sha works very well for any type of muscle stiffness, soreness, and fatigue.
If you intend to try gua sha therapy soon, talk to your local acupuncturist or you can use a spoon or purchase a simple gua sha tool and try it at home on yourself.