In some cases, traditional medicine can’t always help, especially with chronic pain relief. And that’s where alternative therapy methods like gua sha come in to save the day! This is an old Chinese technique for healing that gives you a new perspective and approach to dealing with chronic pain issues; so read on below to find out about some of its many benefits!

Benefits of Gua Sha Therapy

Gua Sha’s biggest basic benefit is the reduction of inflammation, especially in one’s face and neck; thus providing relief from chronic pain, like fibromyalgia or arthritis; as well as any other ailments that cause joint or muscle pain.

Hepatitis B

This is a well-known and pesky viral infection causing liver scarring, damage, and inflammation. However, certain research suggests that this type of gua sha therapy may help with the abovementioned inflammation. More specifically, one study oversaw the health developments of an individual with high liver enzymes; this is an important liver inflammation indicator. Two days after receiving the gua sha treatment, his liver enzyme levels lowered. While additional research is now underway, many scientists believe that this therapy is what caused the positive change.

Migraine Headaches

In many cases, a migraine headache may not always respond to simple over-the-counter drugs. And in that case, gua sha therapy may be of huge help. For example, people with chronic headaches often benefit from getting gua sha over a prolonged period of time; at least a couple of weeks. But in that time period, many patients respond positively; though whether this is pure placebo or not is not always clear, so additional research is definitely required.

Breast Engorgement

This is a condition that a lot of women who breastfeed start experiencing. To be more specific – breast engorgement occurs when their breasts become overfilled with milk. That’s a phenomenon that usually happens in the first couple of weeks when they start breastfeeding, or when the mother happens to be away from their child for a while during the breastfeeding period. Here, breasts become painful and swollen; making it further difficult for their babies to latch on again. While this is generally nothing more than a temporary condition, gua sha therapy helps to relieve the pain, and thus some of the stress.

Many physicians even recommend therapies like the gua sha while the mother is still at the hospital; starting from the second day from when she gives birth. When hospitals followed up with the women in question, in most cases they reported less discomfort, breast fullness, and engorgement. In turn, this made further breastfeeding easier.

Neck Pain

One of the situations in which gua sha therapy is used most commonly is neck pain. When chronic neck pain becomes a problem, studies show that gua sha is quite an effective remedy; especially in a combination with a thermal heating pad from time to time. Most people who underwent such treatment reported less discomfort later on.

Tourette Syndrome

Many people suffer from Tourette syndrome, resulting in uncomfortable involuntary movements, such as vocal outbursts, throat clearing, and certain facial tics. But while this syndrome can’t be completely done away with, studies show that the overall symptoms may be lessened via gua sha therapy in combination with other treatments.

Conclusion

As you may have gathered, gua sha has proven to be quite a reliable source of pain relief from those suffering from chronic issues. Though, it should be noted that this therapy rarely treats the underlying causes of issues, but rather the painful symptoms; it should still be used in concert with other treatment options.