Gua Sha means “scraping” it is a traditional Chinese medicine treatment in which the skin
is scraped. Practitioners believe gua sha releases unhealthy elements from injured areas
and stimulates blood flow and healing. Gua sha is sometimes referred to as “spooning”. Gua
sha involves repeated pressured strokes over lubricated skin with a smooth edge. Skin is
typically lubricated with massage oil and commonly a ceramic Chinese soup spoon. The
smooth edge is placed against the oiled skin surface, pressed down firmly, and then moved
down along the muscles, with each stroke being about 4–6 inches long.