What is Gua Sha

Gua sha is part of traditional Chinese medicine. We use a tool to scrape the skin of the injured area to help break up certain types of fascial and scar tissue. When there is scar tissue in an area it can strangle small blood vessels called capillaries. When using Gua sha to break up this scar tissue it will also break these small blood vessels. The stagnant blood that was stuck is then surfaced (looks like a bruise) to then recirculate and allow for complete healing to occur. What is commonly seen in our practice is the darker the blood the older the injury. The best part is that relief is felt instantly after the procedure. Gua sha is great for persistent pains that are non-responsive to other soft tissue modalities.