Gua Sha (Scraping Therapy)

Supporting your whole body wellness through gua sha therapy in Christchurch.

Supporting your whole body wellness

Gua sha (scraping therapy) is a traditional East-Asian manual therapy similar to massage that is used to support pain relief and reduce inflammation in the body.

Acupuncturists use a round-edged piece of equipment to massage gently over the skin and fascia. Gua sha is a treatment that can be applied in the clinic and by yourself at home and should not be painful when performed correctly.

If you’d like more information on how our moxibustion acupuncture services can support you, call us on 021 081 59228 or make a booking online.

What is Gua Sha?

Gua sha (scraping therapy) is a traditional East-Asian manual therapy similar to massage. Acupuncturists use a round-edged piece of equipment to massage gently over the skin and fascia.

The action of repetitive stroking with gentle pressure is found to create an unwinding effect upon the fascial and calm the neural feedback and promote effusion of the capillary beds.

Where can Gua Sha be used?

Gua sha can be used for issues throughout the body, including:

  • Neck
  • Back
  • Hip
  • Knee
  • Shin
  • Calf
  • Hamstring
  • Quads
  • Shoulder
  • Carefully over the elbow, ankle, and wrist

What is the evidence for Gua Sha?

Research shows Gua sha upregulates the production of nitric oxide in the area bringing pain relief, and there is evidence that Gua Sha releases an endogenous, anti-inflammatory protein (heme-oxygenase-1) to down-regulate inflammation locally without restricting blood flow.

Because Gua Sha supports blood flow, protein production, and oxygen delivery to the local healing tissues, while removing waste and toxins, it’s a great therapy utilized from the outset to reduce the risk of chronic inflammation, pain, and dysfunction of the injured area.

Are your therapists qualified and experienced?

At The House Of Acupuncture, we endeavor to provide the highest quality acupuncture care for people engaged in their injury recovery. Our treatment is provided by our fully qualified and registered acupuncturist with ongoing training in musculoskeletal conditions, and over 9 years of experience treating pain and injury.

"11/10 would recommend. I went to see Elly for an issue with my knee and not only has she helped immensely with that but she has really helped me out in other aspects as well. You can really feel that she cares about her clients and the work she is doing which i believe makes such a difference in the treatment itself. I always leave feeling great and my knee has gotten so much better."
Lily Robin

Get in touch

We’d love to help you, so please let us know if you have any questions or if you are ready, you can book an appointment online.