Coining (gua sha 刮痧)

[GeneChing]

I'm surprised we don't have a thread on this. I couldn't find any significant references here on the TCM subforum.

The ethnocentric part about this report is 1. this is the typical bruising you might see after a coining session and 2. IT WORKED.

Why you should ALWAYS ask first: Australian tourist is left with red raw marks on his back after getting a 'red dragon' massage in Bali – because he didn't know what it involved
An Australian tourist found red raw marks on his back after a massage in Bali
The masseur had offered to 'get the red dragon out of him' using a coin method
'I don't know what you're saying but my husband will try anything,' his wife said
The next day, the man discovered multiple red marks all over his back
However, the man said 'it was fantastic' and has solved his chronic back pain
Have you had a bad experience in Bali? contact tips@mailonline.com
By LAURA HEDGES FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
PUBLISHED: 20:18 EDT, 4 October 2018 | UPDATED: 23:16 EDT, 4 October 2018

An Australian tourist in Bali was left shocked when he discovered huge red marks across his back following what he thought was just a relaxing massage.

Candise Raison and her husband Matthew, from Paringa in South Australia, were six days into their holiday in Bali when they decided to treat themselves to a massage.

Ms Raison told Daily Mail Australia that they decided to order a 'go jek' massage – a service where the masseur comes to you – as they were too tired to go out.

When it came to her husband’s turn, the masseur asked if he wanted to 'get the red dragon out of him'.


An Australian tourist in Bali got a bit of a surprise when he discovered huge red marks across his back following what he thought would be a relaxing massage

Thinking the masseur perhaps wanted to 'try some prayer thing', Ms Raison said: 'I don't know what you're saying but my husband will try anything, go for it!'

She then describes how the masseur started carving her husband's body with a coin, telling them that by tomorrow it will be a 'red dragon'.

This type of treatment is called gua sha and is designed to release impurities from muscle tissue.

The next day, Mr Raison’s back was pictured with huge red marks across it, spanning from the top of his neck right down to his tailbone.

However, Mr Raison is pictured smiling and Ms Raison also saw the funny side.


The masseur offered to 'get the red dragon out' of Mr Raison, and the next day, his back sported huge red marks , spanning from the top of his neck right down to his tailbone


Matthew and Candise Raison (pictured left and centre) had been holidaying in Bali with Ms Raison's sister Tamzin Jenke (right) when they decided to get the unconventional massage

'Fair to say we were all in tears of laughter,' she said.

The couple had been travelling in Bali with Ms Raison’s sister when they got the unconventional massage, but Ms Raison said that the treatment worked wonders for her husband's chronic back pain.

Mr Raison works for SA Networks on the power lines and Ms Raison said that he had been complaining about his sore back for the past three years.

'He hasn’t complained about a sore back since!' she said.


Ms Raison said that the treatment worked wonders for her husband’s chronic back pain and five days after the massage, his back had almost returned to normal

'He said it felt like an itch waiting to be itched, and then when it finally got scratched it was fantastic!'

Ms Raison said that the marks didn’t break the skin and five days after the massage, Mr Raison's back was almost back to normal.

'The marks are still slightly there but almost non-existent,' she said.

'It's something he will most likely get again with the way he enjoyed it.'

What is gua sha?

Gua sha is an Asian medical practice where the side of a coin is rubbed in parallel stripes on the chest and back
In English-speaking countries, it is often referred to as 'scraping' 'spooning' or 'coining'
In China, the practice is called gua sha, in Indonesia it is called kerokan and in Vietnam and Cambodia it is called cao gio
The technique is believed to release unhealthy body matter from sore, tired, stiff or injured muscles and stimulate new, oxygenated blood flow
Folk belief states that gua sha can treat symptoms of the common cold such as nausea, loss of appetite, headaches, dizziness and fainting
After treatment, people tend to feel tired and sleepy but will feel refreshed after several hours of sleep
Some people also take painkillers after the treatment
The practice concludes with a massage using different aromatic oils
Source: The Conversation

[Jimbo]

I learned some gua sha years ago as a part of my massage therapist program (we had to learn MANY modalities). We didn't use a coin; we used the blunt edge of a metal jar lid (such as a mayonnaise jar lid). But you could use anything that's solid, smooth and blunt.

It works very well, but I've never used it in my practice.

[GeneChing]

I've heard of using the lids for Chinese tea cups. I've always thought there was some superstitious thing about using coins. There's some coin scraping tales in my family so that made me biased.

I had such a treatment a long time ago for allergies. Didn't help at all. But I used to try all sorts of stuff for allergies, mostly out of desperation.

If it works, why don't you use it, Jimbo? Too out-of-the-box for your clients? Just curious.

[Jimbo]

I've heard of using the lids for Chinese tea cups. I've always thought there was some superstitious thing about using coins. There's some coin scraping tales in my family so that made me biased.

I had such a treatment a long time ago for allergies. Didn't help at all. But I used to try all sorts of stuff for allergies, mostly out of desperation.

If it works, why don't you use it, Jimbo? Too out-of-the-box for your clients? Just curious.

Hi, Gene.

I studied massage at International Professional School of Bodywork (IPSB). I graduated from the program in 2006, after leaving my previous career as a court reporter/real-time captioner. Unfortunately, IPSB closed in 2016 after 40 years(!) due to some funding issue. Sad, really, as when I was going there, it was still considered one of the top massage schools in the nation.

I found gua sha was pretty good for some muscular issues, but I do think it's a little too out-of-the-box for most of my clientele. Plus, I prefer other modalities. I could have pursued it more deeply but never did. Another excellent modality we were exposed to that I never adopted into my practice was cranio-sacral therapy. I would have pursued that further, but the teacher for that moved to Tennessee shortly after, and she had her own, unique way of doing it.

We were told that gua sha was also used for prevention of colds(?) in the wintertime, but I just stopped doing it shortly after that particular class.

[GeneChing]

Sammi Cheng Posted A Pic Of Her Post-Gua Sha Back & It Looks Like A Rack Of Meat
So scary!

Ilsa Chan
24 Feb 2023 at 11:47


Earlier this week, Hong Kong pop diva Sammi Cheng, 50, gave her followers – and us – a scare when she posted a snap of her very red and bruised back on Instagram Stories.

Entirely covered with red blotches, her back looked rather frightening and, if we must admit, resembled a rack of meat you’d see hanging at the butchery.

Along with the pic was the caption: “Tired.”


It was a much-needed gua sha sesh
The seemingly bruised back was the aftermath of an intense gua sha session.

The traditional Chinese medicinal treatment, in which the skin is scraped with a massage tool, can help relieve the tight knots in the body, reduce muscle tension and improve circulation and fatigue.

And boy did Sammi need it.

The past few weeks, the star’s schedule has been gruelling.

Not only has she been jet-setting for performances and appearances, she also had to juggle promotional work for her new movie Lost Love, as well as shoots for her album.

Her schedule was so packed that she reportedly only had a 30-minute break on one of the days.


Scraping the fatigue away
Sammi is a fan of the treatment.

She has posted about in the past, saying it’s her go-to method of relieving fatigue.

“The picture looks frightening, but within five to seven days, all your fatigue will fade away. The scraping process is a little painful, but it’s worth it… after you release the qi (energy) blockages, you will feel very refreshed,” she said.

Photos: Sammi Cheng/Instagram

I'm not sure who Sammi is and I'm too lazy this Monday morn to look her up...