gwa sha is not a disease

although the effects sure look like one, huh? Redzilla and Gamany were right in their assumptions. What you see in the picture below is the after-effect of my acupuncture session last night. I've been having neck and upper back pain, so Sheryl at Union Square Acupuncture oiled me up and took a Chinese soup spoon to my back and neck. The effects look painful but looks are deceiving. The scraping and rubbing is very uncomfortable but I afterward I only feel a slight tenderness and bruising feeling, but more importantly, my neck and back pain has been completely reduced. The effects are pretty immediate, both internally and externally.

There is a good article here that explains gwa sha (sometimes written gua sha):

‘Sha’ is a condition in which the waste products of cellular metabolism (the burning of glucose in the cells for energy) become trapped in the muscle fibers, often as the result of major trauma such as whiplash but sometimes from accumulated smaller traumas from daily wear and tear and exercise. The Chinese medical diagnosis is ‘stagnation of blood and chi in the meridians,’ meaning that there is obstruction of the energy and fluids in the affected area. The result is stiffness, soreness and pain. Usually, treatment for this condition consists of medications including painkillers, muscle relaxers and possibly anti-depressants, plus massages, chiropractic, physical therapy and so on. [snip]

Not an instrument of torture

‘Gwa Sha’ is perhaps the most dramatic treatment I have ever used for the relief of neck and shoulder stiffness and pain. It is remarkably simple yet effective. The skin is coated with a liniment, and then briskly rubbed with a hard object such as a coin or ceramic soupspoon, resulting in a red rash. It is understood that the pressure and stroking motion dislodge the encapsulated waste products and draw them to the skin surface where they may be eliminated from the body altogether. ‘Sha’ is a Chinese word for sand, describing the rough texture of the rash as it appears in some cases.

The benefits of ‘Gwa Sha’ treatment are first that it produces immediate results most of the time. The appearance of the rash itself confirms the correct diagnosis of the ‘Sha’ condition in the muscle tissue, and usually provides significant immediate pain relief. Patients will generally report a 50-90% reduction of pain and stiffness immediately upon conclusion of the treatment, although occasionally the discomfort may increase somewhat on the day following treatment, and then reduce significantly the following day.

The wikipedia article gives a bit more history.

It does look awful though, huh? I skipped the gym today because I didn't want anyone asking me if I've been beaten, instead opting for a lunchtime walk. The redness should go away in a few days. I'll take the redness if the pain is gone. It's sort of amazing what that little soup spoon can do!

I loved the guesses!