Wu Zhongchao - Gua Sha Scraping Massage Techniques: A Natural Way of Prevention and Treatment Through Traditional Chinese Medicine

GUA SHA

SCRAPING MASSAGE TECHNIQUES

Copyright 2018 Shanghai Press and Publishing Development Co., Ltd.

Chinese edition 2016 Chemical Industry Press

All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction, in any manner, is prohibited.

This book is edited and designed by the Editorial Committee of Cultural China series.

Text by Wu Zhongchao

Translation by Cao Jianxin

Design by Wang Wei

Copy Editors: Susan Luu Xiang, Yang Xiaohe

Editors: Wu Yuezhou, Cao Yue

Editorial Director: Zhang Yicong

Senior Consultants: Sun Yong, Wu Ying, Yang Xinci

Managing Director and Publisher: Wang Youbu

ISBN: 978-1-60220-042-5

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The material in this book is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The information contained in this book should not be used to diagnose or treat any illness, disorder, disease or health problem. Always consult your physician or health care provider before beginning any treatment of any illness, disorder or injury. Use of this book, advice, and information contained in this book is at the sole choice and risk of the reader.

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GUA SHA

SCRAPING MASSAGE TECHNIQUES

A Natural Way of Prevention and Treatment through

Traditional Chinese Medicine

By Wu Zhongchao

Better Link Press

PREFACE

W hy do people get sick? Why arent there long-term cures for diseases? Why are there more and more chronic diseases despite continuous medical treatment?

Along with rapid development of medicine nowadays, the rate of incidence and the rate of mortality of various diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, liver diseases, diabetes, and kidney diseases have been rising increasingly. They are related to the changes of the internal and external environments of our bodies. Toxin within our bodies is an important reason for impairing our health and leading to diseases.

What is toxin? It is the substance harmful to human health but cannot be expelled smoothly. It is attached to the tissues and cells of various channels within our bodies. Just like tea stains attached to mugs, it is not easy to be washed off or metabolized, blocking the normal circulation of the vital energy and blood as well as main and collateral channels and resulting in diseases.

Where does toxin come from? Some comes from the body itself. Every day, millions of cells within the human body die and lots of wastes, such as radicals, cholesterol, and lithic acid are generated after the foods are metabolized within the body. They are important sources of the toxin. Some other toxin comes from external environment, such as air pollution, pesticide residues, and chemical medicine, as well as unreasonable diet structure, smoking or excessive alcoholic drinks.

Under normal circumstances, the toxin within the body can be expelled by way of human metabolism. However, too many toxins will lead to accumulation, affecting the circulation of vital energy and blood, interfering with the balance of metabolism, harming the functions of inner organs and speeding up the aging of the human body.

Gua sha is undoubtedly the safest and the most effective way to expel toxin. This is a traditional and natural therapy of Chinese medicine with obvious effects as well as simplicity and convenience. Only a scraping board coupled with lubricants is applied to repeatedly scrape and rub the related acupoints or affected parts, until red spots appear on the skin. These red spots represent the toxin within the body, blocking the circulation of energy and blood and the metabolism of the body. If such toxin cannot be expelled timely, there will be consequently various kinds of diseases, leading to accelerated aging. Therefore, through stimulating the skin, gua sha can trigger off the functions of the self-defense system within the human body, expel the accumulated toxin and clean the internal environment of the human body, enhancing the ability of self-adjustment and the ability of resistance against diseases. Persisting in gua sha is equal to expelling toxin regularly within the human body. This is not only conducive to dealing with chronic diseases, getting rid of physical pain, raising the function of immunity and the ability of resistance against diseases, but also helping people resist aging and beautify themselves.

The health care and detoxifying therapy of gua sha introduced in this book is marked by simplicity, convenience, safety, and flexibility. It is suitable both as an auxiliary physical therapy for patients in the period of recovery and for the daily care of healthy individuals. It is with hope that gua sha therapy can be of great help to your health.

CHAPTER ONE

Read Your Bodys Needs to Expel Toxin

A cccording to The Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor, a classic work of traditional Chinese medicine, All internal elements can surely be observed outside. It means that human ailments will show themselves on the surface of the body. The accumulation of toxin within the body will also appear in various ways. Our careful discovery and timely expulsion can keep the balance of our metabolism and prolong our health.

1. Eight Indications of Body Toxin

The body toxin, when accumulated up to an amount, will show itself in certain ways. The body would remind you to expel toxin when problems occur, such as constipation, bad breath, freckles, unhealthy skin color, acne, obesity, joint pain, and too much blood fat.

Constipation: Intestinal Toxin Expansion

Bowel movement is the most important way for the human body to expel toxin. Usually, the excrement is discharged once every day. Constipation is marked by less than twice or three times a week, or once every two or three days, with small amounts and dryness.

Constipation is harmful in many aspects. Intestines are not only the places for digesting food and absorbing nutrition, but also the places for the concentration of toxin. If the accumulated excrement within intestines cannot be discharged, it will not only add to the burden of intestines, but also enable the toxin to be absorbed twice or many times via the blood and circulate together with blood within the body, seriously polluting the entire body. Its major harm is shown in several aspects as follows:

Accelerating the aging of the human body: The mood of people with minor constipation will be affected, resulting in the disorder of the functions of gastric and intestinal nerves, discomfort of intestines and stomach, abdominal distention and bitter taste in mouth. People of serious constipation or those with long-term constipation will suffer from the accelerated aging of human tissues and internal organs, finally leading to severe pathological changes.

Resulting in cancer: Long-term constipation will make carcinogens from germs fermented in intestines irritate the epithelial cell in intestinal mucous membranes, leading to the heteromorphic hyperplasia that is apt to give rise to the cancer.