Gua sha is a technique involving the scraping of a blunt tool across the skin. Proponents tout the technique’s ability to release unhealthy matter from sore or injured muscles and promote cell repair and healing.
Gua sha is a practice of traditional Chinese medicine and has spread to many different cultures. It is also known as kerokan, coining, or scraping, though these terms also refer to traditional techniques that are distinct from gua sha.
The technique
Gua sha is done by forcefully stroking the skin—usually lubricated with massage oil or balm—with a smooth, blunt instrument. The smooth edge of the tool is placed against the skin, pressed down firmly, and then moved along the muscles. Some practitioners follow the pathways of the acupuncture meridians rather than the flow of the muscles.
A typical stroke is between four and six inches long. When treating cases of fatigue, practitioners sometimes soak ginger root in rice wine and rub it along the spine, first.