Friday, October 27, 2023
Few people are aware that Gua sha has been used to treat some of the symptoms of the effects of Covid-19 in China. In this episode, Clive explains how it is being used in hospitals in China and details the protocol used and also gives you a plan of treatment to use at home from one of China's experts in Gua sha.
How is Gua sha being used in the Coronavirus pandemic?
Hello and welcome to episode 13 of the Gua sha Show and this week we’re looking at how the aftermath of Coronavirus has been treated using Gua sha in China and advice by one of China’s experts on treating yourself and your family at home. This is something that it would seem not many people know about but Gua sha has been used in hospitals right from the beginning of the pandemic and is commonly used in the treatment and prevention of what can be termed long Covid-type symptoms. These are the lingering symptoms after some people has had COVID-19.
According the the Centers of Disease control and prevention in the US, long COVID is a term to describe a range of symptoms that can last weeks or months after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. It might even appear weeks after infection even if mild and even if you had no symptoms. Some of the symptoms reported are:
I normally stay away from talking about Coronavirus because it’s an area which is constantly changing and there are just too many ‘experts’ out there. But I thought it would be interesting for you to hear how Gua sha is being used. And as was made plainly clear by Hu Guangqin, Chairman of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies' Sha Therapy and Cupping Therapy Professional Committee, who is one of the Gua sha experts drafted in to create a standardized Gua sha treatment in light of the pandemic, people at home can learn a simple form of Gua sha treatment to relieve symptoms of physical discomfort and enhance immunity. Like I always do, she advises that if you don't have special equipment, use tableware - small plates or Chinese soup spoons which you can find at home. There’s nothing fancy about Gua sha!
So while Dr.Guangqin rightly believes that in terms of Gua sha it’s best to treat yourself under the guidance of a professional who can provide a treatment plan based on diagnostic principles and signs and symptoms for people to do at home, here is some of her generalized advice:
Let’s start with Dr. Zhang Yangpu and the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of Hubei Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, who has led a team using Gua Sha to improve the symptoms of chest tightness, palpitation, wheezing, and coughing in patients recovering from Coronavirus.
1. Lung channel is scraped at medium intensity - the speed is 60 scrapes/min - 30-60 times - Sha required
2. Heavy scraping and rubbing at Chize or Lung 5 and Lung 7 - 30-60 scrapes in the up and down direction - frequency 60-180 scrapes/min - do not force Sha
Treat the Back:
1. Scrape and rub the hairline Du 16 - 30 times - follow the Du Channel from Du 16 to the end of the tailbone - 30-60 times - medium intensity - frequency 60 times/min
2. Heavy scraping and rubbing at Chize or Lung 5 and Lung 7 - 30-60 scrapes in the up and down direction - frequency 60-180 scrapes/min - do not force Sha
Treat the Chest:
On Renmai, take Ren 17 as the center and take about 10cm in length for 3 minutes - moderate intensity - speed 60 scrapes/min - Sha is required for the first scraping test, but Sha is not forced for follow-up treatment
(shortness of breath, fatigue, anorexia, nausea, fullness, weak stool, loose stools)
1. To invigorate qi and invigorate the spleen/pancreas scrape around St-36 in the lower limb (an areas of 10cm in length along the stomach channel) for 3 minutes - light intensity - speed 30 scrapes/min.
2. Regulate the intestines, benefit the lungs and invigorate the spleen/pancreas by scraping the large intestine channel - medium intensity - speed of 60 scrapes/min - 30-60 times - do not force Sha.
(fatigue, shortness of breath, dry mouth, thirst, palpitations, excessive sweating, poor appetite, low or no fever, dry cough and less phlegm)
Scrape at KD-3 (an area of 10cm in length with KD-3 at the center) for 3 minutes - light intensity - 30 scrapes/min - do not force sha - treatment once every 2 days - a total of 2-3 times
Director of Komorebi Institute
From researching underfunded healthcare in Uganda, to running a thriving chronic illness clinic in North Africa, to collaborating with hospitals in Sri Lanka to train staff and empower communities - My journey has been dedicated to democratizing access to beauty and health.