Click the blue text above to follow and learn more about moxibustion knowledge
Spring is a season of vitality, with plants sprouting and everything growing.
As Yang energy rises, many organs in the body accumulate internal heat, which can lead to dryness in spring and various discomforts. Today, I recommend Gua Sha techniques to help alleviate bodily discomforts, which are very effective, so remember to save this!
A Gua Sha board and half an old doctor
Gua Sha health care is actually not difficult; items like a comb, a porcelain cup lid, or even a rounded spoon can be used for Gua Sha, making it simple and easy to operate.
1. Common Cold: Dazhui (Great Vertebra) Point
Dazhui point: Located at the depression below the highest protrusion of the cervical vertebrae, more pronounced when the head is lowered.
Method: Scrape from top to bottom for about 5-10 minutes until the back of the neck feels warm.
2. Lower Back Pain: Hands + Back
Method: First apply Gua Sha oil on the lower back, then slowly scrape down along both sides of the spine.
The reflex area for the lower back is in the center of the back of the hand; apply a little Gua Sha oil and scrape slowly from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger.
Look for areas of pain, nodules, or muscle tension while scraping, for about 15-30 minutes each time.
3. Breast Nodules: Scrape Both Breasts
Method: Apply a little moisturizer, then hold the Gua Sha board at a 45-degree angle to the chest, scraping gently from the base of the breast towards the nipple, with a comfortable pressure, for about 5-10 minutes.
Note: Do not scrape the nipple, areola, or any unexplained lumps in the breast.
4. Poor Digestion: Scrape Tianshu (Heavenly Pivot) Point
Tianshu point: Located two inches beside the navel.
For ordinary diarrhea: For mild diarrhea, use the Gua Sha board to massage the Tianshu point counterclockwise, or press the Zhongwan point (4 inches above the navel).
For constipation: Use the Gua Sha board to massage the Tianshu point clockwise until a warm sensation is felt in the abdomen.
5. Dry Eyes: Scrape Around the Eyes
Method: When the eyes are fatigued, use the Gua Sha board to gently press around the eyes, focusing on the Jingming (Bright Eyes) point (inner corner), Cuanzhu (Gathering Bamboo) point (eyebrow), Yuyao (Fish Waist) point (middle of the eyebrow), and Taiyang (Sun) point (outer corner), for 1-2 minutes each. The specific acupoints are marked in red in the image below.
You can also use the Gua Sha board to scrape around the eyes directly to relieve fatigue and improve vision.
6. Mental Fatigue: Baihui (Hundred Meetings) Point + Taiyang (Sun) Point
Baihui point: Located at the intersection of the midline of the head and the line connecting the tips of both ears.
Taiyang point: Located in front of the ear, above the outer corner of the eye.
Method:
First, comb the hair from the front hairline back to wake up the mind in the morning;
Second, scrape from the center of the head in all directions, relaxing the entire head around the Baihui point;
Third, scrape forward from the center of the head, backward from the center, and backward from the sides towards the Taiyang point. This promotes blood circulation in the head, clears the mind, and enhances memory.
Note: Scrape or massage lightly whenever possible.
7. Neck and Shoulder Pain: Fengchi (Wind Pool) Point + Jianjing (Shoulder Well) Point
Fengchi point: Located on both sides of the large muscle at the back of the head, parallel to the earlobe, in the two depressions at the back of the head.
Jianjing point: Located at the midpoint of the line connecting Dazhui and the acromion, at the highest point of the shoulder.
Method: Scrape the Fengchi point from top to bottom along the skin until reaching the Jianjing point, then scrape from the shoulder inward and outward, scraping thirty times on fleshy areas and twenty times on bony areas.
Note: Adjust the angle with the wrist and move the forearm to guide the Gua Sha board.
8. Nourishing Blood and Liver: Xuehai (Sea of Blood) Point + Sanyinjiao (Three Yin Intersection) Point
Xuehai point: Bend the knee, cover the kneecap with the palm, fingers pointing up, and the thumb at the fleshy part below.
Sanyinjiao point: Located on the inner side of the lower leg, four fingerbreadths above the ankle joint.
Method: Scrape from the Xuehai point on the inner side of the lower limb to the Sanyinjiao point, from top to bottom without stopping in between, until the skin turns red and purple bruises form. Regular scraping of the Sanyinjiao point can nourish blood and liver.
Note: For lower limb Gua Sha, scrape the outer side first from top to bottom, then the back (the bladder meridian area), and finally the inner side.
9. Spring Excess Fire: Xingjian (Moving Between) Point + Neiting (Inner Court) Point
Symptoms: Gum pain, sore throat, mouth ulcers, thirst, irritability, yellow urine, dry stools, red tongue with yellow coating.
Xingjian point: Located on the dorsum of the foot, between the first and second toes.
Neiting point: Located on the dorsum of the foot, between the second and third toes.
Method: When scraping, use the blunt edge of the Gua Sha board to press the Xingjian and Neiting points for 1-2 minutes each, then scrape upwards from the bottom (can be combined with Gua Sha oil or massage oil), applying a bit more pressure within a tolerable range, scraping until bruising appears or for 50 strokes.
10. Spring Deficiency Fire: Scrape the Five Lines on the Back
Symptoms: Flushed complexion, thirst without desire to drink, dry cough with little phlegm, low fever, red tongue with little coating, five hearts hot.
Method: Scrape the five lines on the back, including the central Du meridian, 1.5 inches to the side of the Du meridian (the first side line of the bladder meridian), and 3 inches to the side of the Du meridian (the second side line of the bladder meridian).
When scraping, apply light pressure and scrape slowly, with each stroke lasting longer to invigorate the body’s vital energy and restore its functions.
Three Colors of Sha Corresponding to Different Conditions
Bright Sha Color: If the red is not too deep, it indicates the presence of wind-cold in the body, which is the most normal color.
Purple-Red or Dark Red Sha: This usually indicates internal damp-heat.
Purple-Black Sha: This indicates severe stagnation in the body. The severity of the Sha marks does not completely correlate with the disease and will gradually dissipate, so there is no need to worry excessively.
Areas Not to Scrape
Gua Sha is a relatively safe health practice, but there are still many contraindications. Which groups should avoid Gua Sha? Which areas should not be scraped? We need to know.
1. Do not scrape the sides of the neck.
Clinical observations in TCM have found that scraping the neck carries certain risks, especially on both sides of the neck, which should not be scraped lightly!
This is because the middle part of the sternocleidomastoid muscle contains the carotid sinus, which is a pressure receptor. Stimulating it can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, leading to dizziness and fainting.
Continuous stimulation may lead to more serious consequences, especially for those with poor health.
When scraping, avoid the sides of the neck, and the same applies to massage.
2. Contraindicated populations should not scrape.
Patients with cardiovascular diseases, the elderly, those with skin allergies, leukemia, allergic purpura, thrombocytopenia, cancer, skin inflammation, or those with wounds or scars on the skin, as well as pregnant women and women during menstruation, should avoid Gua Sha.
Of course, even healthy individuals should not scrape every day. It is essential to allow the body to have a recovery period, waiting until the marks from the last scraping have disappeared before proceeding.
Gua Sha Tips
1. Hold the Gua Sha board at a 45-degree angle or less to the skin; the flatter the angle, the more comfortable it is to scrape, and avoid scraping too hard.
2. Many people believe that scraping must produce Sha, and the more Sha, the better, which is incorrect. When a person has a cold, fever, or fatigue, it is easier to produce Sha; healthy individuals do not easily produce Sha, only reddening of the skin.
3. Gua Sha should not be done back and forth; it should be scraped from top to bottom and from inside to outside, in a single direction, extending the scraping distance as much as possible. This follows the direction of arterial blood circulation to promote blood flow.
4. It is advisable to scrape 3-5 areas each time, for 3-5 minutes per area, and not exceed half an hour in total.
5. Different pressures will produce different effects; light pressure is for “tonifying,” while strong pressure is for “draining.” Most people do not know whether their constitution is deficient or excess, so it is best to maintain an average pressure, known as “balanced tonification and draining.” Wait 3-5 days after the first scraping before performing the second treatment.
6. After Gua Sha, choose warming and sweating-inducing foods, and avoid wind; it is not recommended to take a shower within an hour.
It took a lot of effort to compile this, so please give it a thumbs up!
Scan to follow
Learn more about TCM moxibustion health knowledge
⊙ Note: This public account is a platform for sharing TCM health knowledge. The article is for learning reference only. If it involves medication or treatment, please consult a licensed physician.
The images in this article are sourced from the internet for educational purposes (non-commercial). Copyright belongs to the original author. If there is any infringement, please inform us for deletion.
Selected Past Articles
This point specializes in treating various “blockages”! Try pinching it every day.
The kidneys need to be nourished, the liver needs to be enriched… Are you doing it right?
Release the “muscle knots” in your body, and all diseases will go away!
Softening a muscle by an inch adds ten years to your life; the softer the muscle, the longer you live.
「 Please give a thumbs up! 」