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1. How to treat Headaches & Migraines
One of the main functions of Gua sha is to help blood circulation through the vascular system and reduce any restriction through tissue and muscle mass. A headache is a classic condition which can be helped by this improvement in circulation.
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Believe it or not, it is rare for the cause of your headaches to actually be in your head. Sure, the symptom is there but the reason you feel that symptom is not usually.
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A common cause of headaches is an accumulation of tension in the neck and shoulders often brought on by stress, overwork, bad posture etc. Massaging this area is tricky to do yourself, so let us look at how you can treat this area and so relieve some of the symptoms of a headache.
Step 1
Hold the tool with your dominant hand and use the side to lightly scrape down the muscles at the side of the neck. Strokes should be short and smooth, and gradually increase in pressure each time you scrape in a downwards direction. Scrape into the shoulder muscles towards the arms but stop short of the bony shoulder joint.
Step 2
Next use short up and down strokes to relax the neck muscles just below the bottom of the skull at the back of the head. Start below the ear area and go straight across the back of the neck to below the other ear. Make sure that the strokes are short and firm and in the muscle not on the bone.
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Step 3
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Scrape down the back of the neck into the upper back being careful not to scrape hard over the vertebrae.
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Step 4
Lastly, lift up your arm and rest it on your opposite shoulder. Use your other hand to scrape down the trapezius muscle at the side of your body, below the shoulder joint.
2. How to treat Coughs and Colds
Gua sha is one of the most effective ways in treating the symptoms of a cold and if done in time can help to prevent the symptoms from worsening.
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The idea is to start at your neck and shoulders and then scrape between your shoulder blades. This covers all the main areas connected to your lungs and respiration. Then in the center of your chest bone and between your ribs at the top of your chest.
Step 1
As with headaches, hold the tool with your dominant hand and use the side to lightly scrape down the muscles at the side of the neck. Strokes should be short and smooth, and gradually increase in pressure each time you scrape in a downwards direction. Scrape into the shoulder muscles towards the arms but stop short of the bony shoulder joint.
Step 2
Next, scrape downwards in the area between your spine and your shoulder blades
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Step 3
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Scrape down the front of your breastbone in short strokes and then follow the gaps of your rib cage outwards towards the side.
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