Gua Sha

Gua sha is a practice rooted in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Gua sha involves the use of a smooth-edged tool to gently scrape areas of your body where there is inflammation or stagnant Qi to help improve circulation and promote healing. Its meaning loosely translates to ‘scraping, rubbing or pushing.’

The difference between gua sha and the Graston Technique

Physical therapists sometimes incorporate muscle scraping to stretch and relax muscles or scar tissue. While this is pretty much gua sha, it’s known as the Graston Technique. The Graston Technique is just a trademarked version of the gua sha massage technique. At the end of the day, both therapies have the same goal outcome. Gua sha is good for musculoskeletal problems, especially major ones like tightness in the shoulders, legs and back. It can also help alleviate tension headaches, migraines, neck pain, swelling in your body, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, and perimenopausal symptoms when done in addition to acupuncture.