Gua sha therapy or scraping therapy in Overland Park has a very long history and started out as a folk medicinal type of technique. In the Yuan Dynasty, a physician named Wei Yi Lin wrote a book called the Effective Formulas Handed Down for Generations. The book advised to “Scrape the surface of the wrist, knee, elbow, and neck with wet hemp until there is minimal bleeding of the skin. Cover with quilts and thick clothes the body and then provide the patient with fresh Chinese onion tea, fermented soybean and Chinese green onion decoction. This is an extremely effective way of relaxing and loosening the skin. ”
This book is a methodical description of gua sha therapy. The procedure is to scrape the skin surface on certain areas of the body to open up the pores in order to eliminate the pathological evils for the treatment of ailments and illnesses.
After scraping, there should be miliary bleeding beneath the skin in various levels. Gua sha therapy has been used as a folk medicine method minus the theoretical methodical basis. It is generally performed in the case of leg, back, or shoulder pain, acute entero-gastritis, heat strokes, fever, and common colds, among many others.
The tools used in gua sha therapy are materials with smooth edges, such as buffalo horn, jade tool, bamboo plates, silver coins, and chinaware smoothened with vegetable oil, alcohol, or water.
However, along with the amassing of medical knowledge and the advancement of modern medical science, the ancient folk medicine of gua sha therapy slowly lost its popularity, except in rural regions where that was a shortage of modern medical care. It is still used to address simple illnesses and ailments in those places.
In modern times, while people are benefiting from good health and the luxuries of civilization made possible by new medical skills and the latest advances in technology, they also are being damaged by the effects of chemical medications, ecological imbalance, and environmental pollution.
Based on a report released by the Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Center of the Health Ministry of China, among hospitalized patients in recent years, there have been about 191,000 deaths each year due to negative drug side effects. Deaths related to medications are ten times greater than the number of deaths caused by infectious diseases in China.
All this information has led to a new quandary in medical treatment. People are becoming aware that a more serious crisis occurs as techniques become more advanced. As a result, medical workers are compelled to seek natural modes of treatment over conventional medicine as the new medical therapies. In relation to this, Gua sha therapy or scraping therapy is being more and more considered due to its simple application, zero side effects, and well-known effectiveness.