- Dr. Annie (Han) Yang 杨
Doctor of Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine DACM
Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic
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Central Earth Treatment Services
GUASHA
GUASHA
Guasha is an ancient powerhouse of a technique is becoming more well-known in the western world in recent years due to its ability to relieve muscle tension, promote circulation, and reduce swelling by draining the lymphatic system.
Guasha is used to help manage diseases, promote circulation, and ease muscle pain.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF GUASHA
Research suggests that there are many potential benefits of the practice, including:
1. Helps relieve muscle pain
Gua sha helps promote blood flow to the area being scraped, which can help reduce pain and stiffness.
2. Helps reduce Perimenopause symptoms
Perimenopause, or the transition to menopause, may cause women to experience hot flashes, sleep problems, and mood changes.
Hormone therapy and other treatments can help with these symptoms, but pairing them with gua sha also helps mitigate discomfort.
One study from China of 80 women, published in 2017 found that adding a weekly 15-minute gua sha treatment to their conventional treatment led to greater reduction of these symptoms after eight weeks, compared with conventional treatment alone.
3. Helps improve diabetic neuropathy
Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that can affect people with diabetes.
It occurs when high levels of blood sugar (glucose) injure nerves throughout the body, most commonly in the legs and feet.
Research from China published in 2019 in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice suggests that guasha may help lower the severity of diabetic neuropathy.
4. It helps boost exercise performance and recovery
In a study published in 2019 in the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, researchers had 44 men receive gua sha, sham gua sha (no petechiae), or no gua sha, alongside their normal twice weekly weightlifting training.
After eight weeks of therapy, the men who received gua sha reported less perceived effort in completing the snatch and clean and jerk exercise, compared with the other men, even though everyone used only 85 percent of their one-rep max (the maximum amount of weight they’re able to lift in a single repetition).
Researchers postulated that gua sha may have helped promote faster muscle recovery, as the men weren’t limited by fatigue from past training sessions.
5. It can help sooth autoimmune diseases
You can use gua sha to reduce systemic inflammation and can be used a lot on patients with autoimmune diseases.
Guasha can help lower inflammation and provide symptom relief when done on an ongoing basis. Scraping the tissues promotes better circulation of blood and nutrients in the body, which can help lower inflammation.
PATIENT TESTIMONIAL ON GUASHA TREATMENT
"TOP-QUALITY ACUPUNCTURE and CHINESE MEDICINE TREATMENT CLINIC IN AEIA, HI."
Dr. Annie Yang's expertise, professionalism, and warm personality have made every appointment a truly healing and rejuvenating experience. Thanks to her treatments, my chronic pain has significantly decreased, and my overall wellbeing has improved greatly.
- Angela W. of Oahu, Hawaii
HISTORY OF GUASHA
Guasha originated in ancient China. In fact, it’s one of the oldest forms of traditional Chinese medicine ever recorded, with historical records dating back to the Stone Age.
This folk remedy was often used to “scrape away illness,” and it was eventually written into major medical texts during the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644)
This traditional Chinese medicine technique is becoming more common in the United States, as more medical practitioners come to understand its potential health benefits.