Scraping Therapy to Lower Blood Pressure
Scraping therapy (gua sha) is an old and popular folk remedy throughout China. It is claimed that scraping therapy promotes blood and qi (vital energy) flows, activates the meridians, and induces perspiration to expel pathogens from the body surface, thus facilitating the recovery of the body. The appearing of red skin patches indicate that the pathogens are being released, individuals may feel relax or refreshed after treatment. Modern study has showed that scraping on the skin can activate the nervous system, accelerate the blood and lymphatic flows, raise metabolism, so as to improve the body's defense against disease.
For hypertension management, physicians usually scrape the back and neck regions. Before the process, prepare a bowl of Glauber's salt solution, clean and wipe the neck and back regions, and then moisten the skin and scraper with the solution. Firstly, scrape along the midline and both sides of the neck, one by one until the skin is red and three purple patches appear. Then scrape along the spine, and both sides (two lines in each), one by one until the skin is red and five purple patches appear. Always scrape the skin in the same direction, with consistent and gradual increased strength, it might take 6~8 scrapes to develop a skin patch, keep the skin or scraper moistened during the time. When finished, wipe the scraped areas, rub some herbal ointment on the skin patches, and let the individual rest for a while.
Don't scrape the areas again if the skin patches have not faded. Scraping therapy is NOT suitable for individuals who are too skinny, have local skin lesions, a tendency to bleed easily or those with severe conditions.
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Scraping therapy application for hypertension |
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