WELCOME TO GUA SHA/

SOFT TISSUE MOBILIZATION

GUA SHA

IASTM

IACFM

GRASTON TECHNIQUE

WHAT IS GUA SHA? Gua sha, the word is derived from two

separate words Gua and Sha, which means ‘to scrape of’ and ‘millet grain like red rash’. Gua sha therapy is a deep massage like treatment method, based on the Chinese concept or diagnostics of bio-energy, Chi or Qi.

Gua sha in Chinese means to scrape away fever or translated more loosely, to rub away illness

How does Gua Sha work?Gua Sha is a form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization that enables clinicians to effectively break down scar tissue and fascial restrictions, Effectively treating areas exhibiting soft tissue fibrosis or chronic inflammation.

Gua Sha works by stimulating the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Gua Sha stimulates the body’s own natural inflammation process which stimulates our own natural mechanism for tissue repair. The body then creates scar tissue and lays down new collagen to finish the repair process. In many musculoskeletal diseases, tissue is repaired improperly because this natural mechanism failed in one or more steps. For this tissue to re-heal, it has to be injured again so that a new inflammatory process can begin. Reinjuring an area comes with an increase risk for chronic pain and disability. Now an inflammatory response can now be artificially created without having to reinjure the area. Tissue repair will then follow naturally as before.

What can Gua Sha do for you?

Rehabilitate old injuries Decrease healing time Prevent chronic injuries Effectively treat most musculoskeletal

conditions

BENEFITS OF SOFT TISSUE MOBILIZATION

IMPROVE TISSUE ROM.

DECREASE PAIN.

BREAK DOWN SCAR TISSUE AND FASCIAL RESTRICTIONS.

AIDS IN HEALING DAMAGED TISSUE.

DISCOLORIZATION(S) PINK- Vascular response/HyperemiaNo soft tissue dysfunction. Lt RED- Minor fascial dysfunction. SUB-

ACUTE stage of injury. Dk RED- Moderate fascial dysfunction.

SUB-ACUTE- CHRONIC stage of injury PURPLE- Severe fascial dysfunction.

CHRONIC stage of injury.

DISCOLORIZATION(S)

TOOLS

TECHNIQUES… LONG FLOWING STROKES “Scanning”

used more of an assessment technique.

SHORT STROKES- used for therapeutic treatments.

A NOTE… TWO THINGS THERAPISTS MUST MAKE

A NOTE OF PRIOR TO USING GUA SHA…

1. DO NOT OVER-TREAT2. MOST CASES…LIGHT PRESSURE IS

NECESSARY.