10/06/2025
What is gua sha?
Gua sha (pronounced “gwa-shah”) is a technique usually done by an acupuncturist or massage therapist. They use a small, smooth-edged tool to gently stroke or scrape areas of your skin to try to improve circulation and promote healing.
“Gua sha is a standard treatment modality that most acupuncturists use,” Sobo says. “The term loosely translates to ‘scraping, rubbing or pushing’ — essentially, a tool-assisted type of massage.”
Though “scraping” might sound painful, gua sha is a gentle technique. It’s done on your face using very light pressure. And if a provider performs it elsewhere on your body, like overly tight muscles, they may increase the intensity depending on the knots they encounter.
“We identify areas of tense tissue, work on them gently and gradually build up the intensity to promote circulation to help break up those areas,” he explains.
In traditional Chinese medicine, gua sha is said to help balance the flow of qi (pronounced “chi”), or energy, throughout the body. Western medicine doesn’t follow those principles, but modern research shows gua sha may have benefits.
From the Cleveland Clinic.
