What Is Gua Sha and Can You Use It for Muscle Soreness?

You may need seen Instagram influencers scraping their our bodies or faces with easy stones or steel instruments to assist (as they declare) promote blood movement and vary of movement, and even relieve minor ache or soreness. The normal Chinese language medication observe, referred to as gua sha, is touted as a type of lymphatic drainage therapeutic massage.

However earlier than you attempt gua sha for your self, there are some belongings you may wish to know. Does it actually work? What does the analysis present? Are you able to DIY at house? (And must you?)

Right here’s what that you must know for those who’re considering of making an attempt gua sha for the primary time or making it part of your restoration routine.

What Is Gua Sha?

Gua sha is a observe in conventional Chinese language medication that dates again roughly 1,800 years. It’s primarily a therapeutic massage: A practitioner rubs your physique (or an space) with heat oil then makes use of a worn coin or spoon to briskly rub your pores and skin in lengthy strains. Different widespread supplies for these therapeutic massage instruments embrace rose quartz, jade, and steel.

Gua sha can be referred to as “coining” or “scraping” within the US, says Theresa Marko, PT, DPT, MS, a physician of bodily remedy and proprietor of Marko Bodily Remedy in New York Metropolis.

To get conventional gua sha, you’ll want to go to a standard Chinese language medication practitioner or acupuncturist. Nevertheless, there are a few related practices utilized by different health-care professionals, explains Marko.

Chiropractors use the Graston approach, which mixes gua sha and trendy myofascial launch. Bodily therapists use “instrument-assisted smooth tissue mobilization” (IASTM). Each therapies use stainless-steel instruments. Whereas all three scrape the pores and skin utilizing instruments, the intention is completely different. The Graston approach and IASTM concentrate on myofascial launch, or breaking apart scar tissue and muscle adhesions.

Gua sha “seems to be at ache as a symptom of imbalance,” explains Aliks Okay. Lessa, LAC, a licensed acupuncturist. It targets tight muscular tissues with the aim of shifting “stagnant” blood, decreasing inner warmth, and shifting adverse vitality within the physique. Nevertheless, the observe can go away behind pink streaks and even some damaged blood vessels at occasions.

Does Gua Sha Assist With Muscle Aches?

Since gua sha is a type of therapeutic massage, Marko says it’s, in her skilled expertise, “actually good for assuaging [soreness] from a muscle that may be in spasm or too tight.”

Utilizing gua sha instruments to scrape the pores and skin in spots the place you’re sore “coaxes the physique to launch that deeply embedded stress,” explains Lessa, and provides some parts of acupressure, too.

Analysis is restricted however exhibits promise. In a small research, individuals with continual neck ache handled with gua sha confirmed enhancements after every week of remedy. Additionally they had much less ache whereas shifting than these not given the remedy.

A research on continual low again ache discovered related enhancements in ache scores after gua sha. Nevertheless, these research are small, with no placebo, so the outcomes aren’t definitive.

Gua sha doesn’t work on all muscular tissues, says Marko, because it’s a superficial remedy.

“In the event you wanted one thing deeper, like your piriformis muscle in your buttock space, scraping wouldn’t actually get to it,” she says. For these varieties of aches, she recommends different types of therapeutic massage or bodily remedy.

How Usually Ought to You Gua Sha?

Lessa suggests getting gua sha as soon as every week to assist ease muscle stress. The bruising and pink streaking is regular, Lessa confirms, however she needs them to heal absolutely earlier than her shoppers come again. “Ordinarily, every week is sufficient time for that to happen,” she says. You’ll be able to combine gua sha with different merchandise to alleviate sore muscular tissues.

What Instruments Are Used For Gua Sha?

It’s best to solely get gua sha from a skilled skilled. Right here’s a peek on the instruments they may use:

Curler software

Among the many gua sha instruments, the curler may be the preferred and recognizable. It typically comes with a giant and small facet, with the smaller facet used for extra strain or exact scraping.

S-shaped software

Lessa explains this one is flexible, “working round nice bones just like the ankles, wrists, and vertebrae, but additionally for wider extra muscular areas of the physique like forearms, calves, and hips.”

Wing- or fin-type software

This software is greatest for areas with “extra muscle and fewer bone protrusion,” akin to the perimeters of the neck, backs of the legs, and stomach.

Dolphin-shape software

Lessa makes use of the flat edge for bigger areas, just like the IT band, and the dolphin edge for “curving round delicate bones just like the shoulder blades, collar bone, knees, and ankles.” One other frequent space to be used is the jawline.

Fish-shape software

Lessa likes this as a facial software, to “work round small, delicate bones just like the brows and nostril” and even the cheekbone.

Spoon-type software

The spoon facet is ideal for scraping painful areas whereas the smaller facet can be utilized for acupressure.