What The Heck Is A “Gua Sha Massage”?

When it comes to different wellness treatment options, Gua Sha is one of them that people are often quite curious about. Some people refer to Gua Sha as “gua sha massage”, “gua sha therapy”, etc. It is also sometimes referred to as the “Graston Technique” when used in sports medicine, but may be a bit different depending upon practitioner. Have additional questions? Interested in scheduling an appointment? Want to book a free wellness consultation to discuss Gua Sha or another treatment option? Visit our booking site, send us a message or give us a call today.

So… What Is Gua Sha? Gua Sha is a treatment modality rooted in traditional Chinese medicine that many acupuncturists offer. During treatment, a smooth-edged tool is used to gently scrape areas of the body. Depending upon where you are having a problem and what problem you may have, Gua Sha may be performed on different areas of the body to achieve results. What Does Gua Sha Do? Gua sha can help with stagnant qi, inflammation, circulation and healing when properly performed. A more “Americanized” version of Gua Sha known as the “Graston Technique” has been used since the 1990s in sports medicine to address muscles or scar tissue and can help to stretch and relax those areas. Does Gua Sha Hurt?

When most people hear “scraping” they think Gua Sha may be painful. When performed properly, Gua Sha should not hurt at all. The entire treatment should be gentle and relaxing. If you for any reason feel uncomfortable during your Clearwater Gua Sha treatment, we ask that you immediately say something so that we can access why that would be happening.

Schedule Gua Sha in Clearwater, Florida Today

Ready to schedule Gua Sha in Clearwater? Book your appointment here, send us a message or give us a call today to get started.

Interested In A More Natural “Pain Management” Approach?

Unless you’ve been living underneath a rock the last decade or so, chances are you’ve heard about the “opioid epidemic” that has been raging throughout North America and other parts of the world. The opioid epidemic began due to doctors overprescribing prescription opioid pain medication to people all around the country. These patients often were not properly warned about the addictive nature of these medications, leading to a life of addiction and death for over 1,000,000 people since the epidemic began. At Dawn Potter Acupuncture & Wellness we are proud to offer more natural pain management options in Clearwater, Florida. Have questions about our pain management services? Interested in scheduling an appointment? Contact us today to get started.

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is often characterized as ongoing pain that lasts for at least 6 months. For many patients, chronic pain is a daily, lifelong problem they deal with. Luckily, acupuncture, herbs, supplements and certain manual therapies can be highly effective in the treatment of chronic pain.

Sports Injuries

When it comes to playing sports, injury can actually be quite common, even for those that aren’t playing a contact sport! From shoulder cuff tears and ankle sprains to disc inflammation and pulled muscles, Dawn Potter Acupuncture & Wellness has a treatment option for you. We offer acupuncture, natural supplements and herbs that can promote healing and reduction of inflammation along with manual therapies such as cupping, massage, etc.

Cumulative Overuse Injuries

Some injuries occur over time as opposed to all at once, things such as tennis elbow, knee arthritis and others may be referred to as “cumulative overuse injuries”. Typically these injuries start as a dull, nagging ache and build into a bigger problem. It is recommended to address the problem in the beginning whenever possible.

How Can We Help?

As mentioned above, we offer acupuncture, herbs, supplements, cupping, massage and a variety of other treatment options that can help with your pain naturally.

Start Natural Pain Management in Clearwater, Florida Today

Ready to get started? Schedule your free 15 minute pain management consultation over the phone today. Dawn Potter Acupuncture & Wellness would be happy to help with any of your Clearwater natural pain management needs.

Is Our Clearwater Gua Sha Treatment Right For You?

Do you experience joint or muscle pain? Possibly back pain? Carpal tunnel syndrome? Chronic inflammation? Interested in a more natural approach to your care? At Dawn Potter Acupuncture we are proud to offer Gua Sha in Clearwater, Florida. Gua Sha is a treatment option that has been used for centuries to relieve a variety of ailments including pain and inflammation in the body. Have questions about Gua Sha or our other treatment options? Interested in scheduling an appointment? For any of your needs, please reach out to Dawn Potter Acupuncture, we would be happy to get your appointment scheduled.

What Is Gua Sha?

Gua Sha is a Traditional Chinese Medicine technique which is used to increase circulation of blood and fluids throughout the body. This can disperse toxicity and improve pain. Gua Sha is similar to cupping in the fact that it can increase blood circulation in an area, however, instead of using a cup and suction, a tool is used to scrape an area of the body that has had a lubricant applied prior to treatment. Tools for Gua Sha can vary, ceramic spoons, jade and even horn can be shaped to use as a tool.

​Gua Sha treatment much like cupping can leave some skin marks/discoloration which is known as “petechiae”. These areas are not painful or tender and typically fade within a few days.

What Do Patients Say?

Many people considering Gua Sha are worried that the experience may be painful, we often hear that the experience feels like a deep massage and tension relief is provided following the session.

What To Expect During Gua Sha Treatment

During your Gua Sha session, a tool will be used to scrape certain areas of the body, promoting circulation in that specific area. A lubricant is used on skin prior to treatment to avoid any injuries.

Schedule Gua Sha in Clearwater, Florida Today

Considering Gua Sha in Clearwater? We would be happy to help, schedule an appointment with Dawn Potter Acupuncture today.