The Chinese medicine technique of Gua Sha is one of my favourite methods to treat colds and flus, headaches, and especially tight necks and shoulders. Gua means to scrape or rub, commonly using a rounded, hand-held object such as these pretty Chinese soup spoons given to me as a gift by my sister-in-law.  The scraping produces Sha – a reddish rash-like effect, or petechiae on the skin that usually lasts for a day or two. Gua sha is applied for pain when external factors such as wind or cold have obstructed the blood in the surface tissues.  Basically, it moves ‘stuck’ or sluggish qi and blood in the body, helping to ease pain.   It can also help to release the exterior mimicking sweating, moving fluids and metabolic waste that congest surface tissues and muscles, promoting normal circulation and metabolic processes. Why not try Gua sha to loosen stubborn neck and shoulder tightness, as part of your next treatment at The Dispensary?  www.thedispensarytcm.com.au