What is Gua-Sha?

Gua Sha / Gua-sha / Guasha is a connective / soft-tissue mobilization technique commonly used in Asia by practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Gua Sha is used by TCM clinics and practitioners with the most frequent intent of restarting circulation and releasing "Sha," held by many TCM practitioners to reflect blood "trapped" in the peripheral capillaries. Gua-sha would literally translate into "releasing (the) Sha."

In Gua Sha, a scraping handheld tool is applied to skin, to fascial depth, in longitudinal strokes. This is meant to release the "exterior Sha." A stimulation of movement of lymph and blood flow occurs. This is interpreted as a means of discharging "cold negative energy" via the skin surface. Many TCM practitioners swear by Gua-sha, saying it helps cure many diseases.

In the TCM context, Gua Sha is held to be valuable in the treatment of pain, in the prevention and treatment of acute infectious illness, upper respiratory and digestive problems, and the resolution of many acute or chronic disorders.

Gua Sha is the Traditional Chinese Medicine analogue of today’s Connective Tissue Mobilization Techniques that use tools. In a strictly Manual Medicine analysis of the technique and its results, Gua-sha is a local, direct, tool-enhanced myofascial release. The body of techniques Gua-sha is thus categorized in is more popularly known now as Instrument-Assisted Connective / Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM / IASCTM). The more popular of the branded techniques include the Graston Technique and SASTM (Sound-assisted Soft-Tissue Mobilization).

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