Cupping & Gua Sha
Cupping
Cupping is an ancient therapeutic practice used in traditional Chinese medicine to help relieve muscle tension, improve circulation, and promote relaxation. It involves placing special cups - often made of glass or silicone on the skin to create suction, which gently draws the skin and underlying tissues upward to pull energy and blood into the area to support healing. Sometimes cupping is used as an adjunctive technique alongside acupuncture. This treatment does leave temporary marks on the skin which fade after a few days.
Gua Sha
Gua Sha is a traditional Chinese healing method that scrapes the skin, using a smooth-edged tool to help release stagnation in the body and improve circulation. It is often used to help neck and shoulder pain or back pain. This scraping action can cause small, red, raised, dots to appear under the skin.
These are called petechiae and are not painful or a cause for concern but will take a few days to fade. They are a good indicator of where stagnation has been released and circulation increased in the area. Gua Sha is also sometimes used as an adjunctive technique alongside acupuncture.
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