Gua Sha is the New Cupping!

Cupping has made it to the big time this past summer! Olympians like Michael Phelps and other top athletes and celebs have made Cupping famous. But, hey, however, what about its close cousin… Gua Sha? Turns out, this ancient healing art is doing just fine in the athlete and celeb world. We have read that Justin Bieber, Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Michael Jordan all do Gua Sha!

Yesterday I was talking with someone who knows one of the top sports therapists at the Olympics. And yes, Gua Sha is being used in addition to Cupping with many athletes. It’s just maybe not as flashy as cupping. We think It’s time to recognize the power of Gua Sha!

I’ve been practicing Acupressure and Chinese Medicine for the past 16 years. I can say that I use Gua Sha much more than Cupping in my practice. Cupping is very useful for the ligament attachments to the joints as well as chronic, deep pain specifically in the low back, hip, or shoulder areas). Gua Sha is ideal for almost any type of pain from muscle and/or tendon overuse (tendonitis, pulled muscles, etc.).

Every athlete would benefit from using the winning combo of both Cupping and Gua Sha.

Want to learn more about Gua Sha? Check out our on-line class here.

Even if you are not an Olympic athlete or a front-page celeb, you can still win big with Cupping and Gua Sha. You might not look as cool as Michael Phelps or Michael Jordan, but you will be pain free and maybe you can post a pic of your Sha on Instagram!