What is Guasha?

With Guasha (pronounced gwa-sha) massage, your practitioner rolls and scrapes your skin in a downward motion using a smooth stone or stainless steel instrument. This promotes healthy blood flow, helps stimulate soft tissue circulation, and also breaks up scar tissue adhesions and fascial restrictions.This practice is also known as coining, scraping, spooning, and the graston technique. It may also sometimes be referred to as Gua Sha.

Let’s talk a little bit more about what Guasha massage is and how it can help you.

Guasha massage can be administered using oils and rubs, or it can be simple, with just the use of the Guasha tool. This practice is typically done on the following body parts:

Legs
Arms
Back
Neck
Buttocks

What is the Graston Technique Treatment?

The Graston Treatment or Technique is one way to experience Guasha massage. Here’s how it works:

Practitioners use a guasha tool on muscle groups that need special attention.
Depending on your practitioner, you may be asked to move around during the treatment. This allows your practitioner to access different points in your body.
This technique should not cause pain. You may feel temporary discomfort in the muscles, but that’s much different than pain. You may also see redness in the areas where the guasha tool was used.
You should feel the effects of this treatment within a day. Maybe you’ll feel less muscle tightness or less pain.

Does Guasha Hurt?

No pain, No gain. There might be some discomfort during treatment, but the instrument and massage should not cause intense pain. Some slight bruising may occur, however, if bruises appear often, the technique is being administered too intensely. That said, the technique does not need to bruise or cause pain to be effective.

The amount of pressure and force used in your individual session is really up to you. You’ll work with your practitioner to determine what your goals are and what you want your session to feel like. At Acupuncture Pain and Stress Center, we’re focused on bringing you the results you desire, while also working to make sure the experience is desirable. That means your session will be as gentle and relaxing as you’d like.

What are the tools used during Guasha?

Guasha works by using a smooth stone to promote circulation and blood flow in your body. The type of smooth stone used during Guasha depends on the practitioner delivering your treatment. Some practitioners don’t use a stone at all, they use a stainless steel tool. Guasha was something traditional families used as a household medicine, so grandparents would reach for whatever tool they had access to like coins or spoons. What matters more than the particular tool used is the technique and expertise your practitioner brings to the table. At Acupuncture Pain and Stress Center, we have the experience and expertise to deliver you the best possible acupuncture treatments and Guasha massage.

What can Guasha help with?

Guasha is said to help with a variety of different issues and ailments. Because Guasha massage uses a smooth stone to promote blood flow and circulation, the ailments Guasha helps with are those that present with symptoms of inflammation, poor circulation, and poor blood flow. Let’s talk about some of the things Guasha can help with, especially when performed using the Graston Technique:

It can reduce inflammation
It can increase blood circulation
It can stimulate the circulation of soft tissues
It may help with headaches
It may promote muscle recovery in athletes
It could reduce pain, including chronic pain and fibromyalgia
It can help reduce scar tissue

It may also reduce the following types of pain

Ankle pain (Achilles Tendinosis/itis)
Wrist pain (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome)
Neck pain (Cervical Sprain/Strain)
Hamstring injuries
Hip pain
IT band (Iliotibial Band)
Tennis elbow (Lateral Epicondylosis/itis)
Back pain (Lumbar Sprain/Strain)
Golfer’s elbow (Medial Epicondylosis/itis)
Knee pain (Patellofemoral Disorders)
Heel pain (Plantar Fasciitis)
Shoulder pain (Rotator Cuff Tendinosis/itis)
Trigger finger pain

Guasha Massage: The Bottom Line

Guasha massage can be used alone or with acupuncture to promote healthy blood flow and circulation. It has also been known to help with the treatment of scar tissue and fascial restrictions during rehabilitation, by allowing for faster recovery with a greater success rate when the goal is to restore range of motion, eliminate pain, and restore normal function. Guasha can also be used with stretching and other natural treatments, including essential oil and rubs to give great results. Results can be further improved with healthy living, healthy eating, exercise and a positive mindset.

How can you find Guasha Near Raleigh, North Carolina?

If you’re searching for a provider of Guasha massage services in Raleigh, North Carolina, you’ll want to find someone with the experience, qualifications, and compassion that make them the best at their job. Look no further than Acupuncture Pain and Stress Center. Our goal since 2010 has been to provide quality and compassionate acupuncture and other holistic services like Dry Needling, Guasha, Tuina Massage, Stretching, Cupping, and Orthopedic Movements in Raleigh, NC and the surrounding areas. Much like the balance that acupuncture and Guasha provide for your body, we provide our patients with balanced care: the highest quality healthcare, while at the same time focusing on compassionate services that treat you, the patient, with holistic, individualized treatment.

Acupuncture Pain and Stress Center for all of your Cupping needs

Hi, I’m Jim Eleczko, the founder of Acupuncture Pain and Stress Center and it’s my mission to provide you with compassionate, whole-person care using holistic treatments, including Acupuncture, Dry Needling, and Tunia Massage. I’m a board-certified and licensed Acupuncturist practicing since 2010 in Raleigh, North Carolina. I love that I get to wake up every day to make meaningful changes in my patient’s lives. I’ve seen first hand the changes that Acupuncture can make.

As a teen I suffered from allergies and my father suggested that I try Acupuncture to calm the symptoms. It worked – and left a lasting impression on me! Now I offer Acupuncture and other treatments to help people with a variety of issues, including anxiety, migraines, fibromyalgia, and more. Our other treatments include Dry Needling, Guasha, Cupping, Stretching, Orthopedic Movements, Electroacupuncture and Therapeutic Exercises.

Here’s a bit more about me and my qualifications: I studied the 4-year program at Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine and continue to travel multiple times a year to study with my mentor, Andrew Nugent-Head. I also studied under Dr. Ed Garbacz, M.D. LAc and spent a year working and studying under Dr. Bonnie Walker, M.D. LAc. I have also done extensive post-graduate studies in acupuncture, nutrition, herbal medicine from lectures of acupuncturists like Dr. Nguyen Van Nghi, Dr. Tran Viet Dzung, Matt Callison, and Edward Obaidey.

Get in touch with me by calling (919) 260-4104. I’d be happy to answer your questions and get you booked for an appointment today!