This method of pediatric Gua Sha (scraping therapy) is also a folk remedy that has been used by elders for decades.
Once, I visited an elderly person who was performing this method on a three-month-old baby girl suffering from vomiting, fever, and diarrhea. The baby’s mother, who is 28 years old, told me that she had come here for these treatments when she was young, and now she brought her own child here for healing.
I was deeply moved.
I recalled how, during seasonal transitions, pediatric hospitals are crowded with a sea of people, with all the beds filled with children receiving IV fluids, and even the corridors packed with dazed parents or grandparents holding their children, whose hands or heads are connected to IV tubes.
The elders place all their hopes on the fluids being administered to the children.
Those who do not understand the principles of Wei Qi (defensive Qi) or the Yin-Yang and Five Elements theory would never believe that these fluids could have any effect on the children. Even parents who feel uneasy about it often do not know what exactly is wrong. Only someone like this baby’s mother, who has personally benefited from moxibustion, massage, fire cupping, Gua Sha, and other folk remedies since childhood, can understand the significant benefits these methods can bring to children.
I introduce these methods because I know they can provide convenience, safety, non-toxicity, no side effects, and no sequelae, reducing suffering and alleviating economic pressure, while ensuring a better future for patients. Therefore, I selectively write about what I have seen and learned for readers’ reference, as wisdom varies among individuals.
Pediatric Gua Sha is quite different from the Gua Sha we usually see; first, the Sha (the marks left by scraping) is not a goal to be forced out.
For example, the middle-aged man in the image below has undergone extensive Gua Sha, resulting in large areas of bruising. The practitioner claimed this was detoxification, but in fact, this man’s condition was not due to Sha but rather ruptured capillaries. Therefore, this method should never be used on children! If you perform such Gua Sha on a child, especially an infant, it would be akin to committing a crime against humanity.
This indiscriminate Gua Sha, scraping the back without distinction, is something I also did years ago. Since 2011, influenced by the Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon), I suddenly realized that this approach is akin to carpet bombing. In fact, all ailments and their causes must have a hierarchy of Jun Chen Zuo Shi (sovereign, minister, assistant, and envoy), and traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes that the best doctors treat the nation. How many patients have all their ailments concentrated on their backs? Treating everyone the same way is clearly a strategy of a foolish ruler, so I no longer support such Gua Sha.
Adult Gua Sha typically uses a Gua Sha board, which can be made of materials like horn, coins, jade, ceramic bowls, spoons, or wooden blocks. Personally, I am a collector, so whether it’s needles, moxibustion tools, or Gua Sha boards, I seek out items that I particularly like. I once found a copper coin from the Qing Dynasty and a pangolin scale for Gua Sha; the thickness of this Qianlong copper coin is only 2.5 mm, and due to its age, the edges are exceptionally smooth. With a diameter of five to six centimeters, it fits perfectly in my hand, making it easy to use for Gua Sha.
The pangolin scale was given to me by an old folk doctor years ago, and it even had a piece of southern red agate attached. After the old doctor passed away, I have treasured it. He told me that this item has the effects of promoting circulation, dispelling blood stasis, and detoxifying. However, since pangolins are now a protected species, I do not advocate using pangolin scales for Gua Sha; copper coins or copper cash are sufficient.
Adult Gua Sha is not the focus of today’s discussion, so I will just mention it briefly. If a diagnosed patient requires Gua Sha treatment, I generally choose to scrape specific acupuncture points or a section of a meridian, which may be on the limbs, head, chest, abdomen, or back, and the scraping should be very light. It should be gentle, or slightly heavier depending on the specific situation; in any case, there is no need to force out Sha.
For me, Sha is not the goal I aim to achieve.
Pediatric Gua Sha requires different tools than Gua Sha boards; children’s skin is delicate and cannot withstand the harshness of Gua Sha boards. Therefore, our pediatric Gua Sha uses a cloth bag made from food-grade herbs.
Secondly, Gua Sha should not be performed on the limbs of children. Pediatric Gua Sha is only done on the abdomen and back.
Rather than scraping, it is more accurate to say it is rubbing, but it is indeed Gua Sha.
Ingredients: Three pieces of old ginger, three green onions (only the white part and roots), and an appropriate amount of mugwort (Ai Rong). Additionally, prepare a piece of gauze, folded double, approximately 40 cm x 40 cm square.
It is best to buy ginger that is older and knobby. The green onion, known as Huo Cong in Chongqing, has a stronger spicy flavor than regular green onions and is more effective; do not substitute with regular green onions. When using mugwort, make sure to check for any branches to avoid injuring the child’s skin during Gua Sha.
Preparation: Smash the old ginger and mix it with the green onion and mugwort, then pound them together in a stone mortar.
Then, heat the pounded ginger, green onion, and mugwort mixture in a pot. After heating, some liquid will come out. Take a bowl, spread the gauze over it, and pour the heated mixture into the gauze, wrapping it tightly into a ball.
Now you can perform Gua Sha on the child, using the juice from the heated mixture as a lubricant for scraping.
Before Gua Sha, it is best to perform Qi Jiao Jiu (moxibustion on the Qi intersection) on the child (for details, click to read the original text below); one session is sufficient. After moxibustion, immediately use the cloth bag containing ginger, green onion, and mugwort to perform Gua Sha.
The order of Gua Sha is to start with the abdomen and then move to the back, aiming for a slight reddening of the skin.
During the Gua Sha process, pay attention to the room temperature and prevent the child from getting cold again.
The specific Gua Sha operation is very simple, but it is important not to apply too much pressure, not to scrape too hard, not to go too fast, and not to scrape haphazardly. It should be rhythmic, scraping from top to bottom. Please watch the two videos below:
First, scrape the abdomen
Then, scrape the back
Indications: This method is effective for colds, fevers, coughs, diarrhea, food stagnation, vomiting, and tonsillitis, among others. Most children’s illnesses are caused by gastrointestinal discomfort, and this method helps to regulate the Wei Qi, dispersing the accumulated Qi and restoring the normal function of the gastrointestinal organs.
In fact, adults can also use this method, and it is quite effective.