Gua Sha therapy for hypertension: specific scraping methods for the head, torso, and limbs.

Gua Sha therapy for patients with hypertension

Traditional Chinese medicine categorizes hypertension under the categories of "dizziness" and "headache," believing it to be caused by emotional distress, improper diet, deficiency of liver and kidney yin with excess of yang, and qi deficiency with pathogenic factors, leading to an imbalance of yin and yang in the body. Gua sha therapy can unblock meridians, relieve pain, replenish kidney essence, and soothe the liver and regulate qi, thereby improving blood circulation, calming emotions, and lowering blood pressure.

Scrape the head

The ear's blood pressure lowering groove: There is a groove on the back of the ear called the "ear groove," located on the back of the auricle, running diagonally downwards from the inner upper part. Because it helps stabilize blood pressure, it is also called the "blood pressure lowering groove." Scraping the ear's blood pressure lowering groove has a remarkable effect on lowering blood pressure. Furthermore, the groove can reflect blood pressure status; if it is covered with red bumps or shows peeling, the patient's blood pressure may be higher than 24 kPa.

① Use the corner of a comb to scrape the pressure-lowering groove on the ear. ② Use the edge scraping method to scrape the Du meridian on the head, from Baihui (GV20) to Fengfu (GV16). ③ Use the comb scraping method to scrape the Gallbladder meridian on the head, from Toulinqi (GB41) to Fengchi (GB20). ④ Use the friction method to scrape the Yintang (GV24) acupoint.

Scrape the torso

① Use the friction method to scrape the Jianjing acupoints on both sides. ② Use the edge scraping method to scrape the Du meridian on the spine, from the Dazhui acupoint to the Changqiang acupoint. ③ Use the corner scraping method to scrape the Bladder meridian on both sides of the spine, focusing on the Feishu and Xinshu acupoints.

Scraping the limbs

① Use the friction method to scrape the Quchi acupoints on both sides of the arm. ② Use the side scraping method to scrape from top to bottom from the Sanyinjiao acupoint to the Taichong acupoint. ③ Use the friction method to scrape the reflex areas of the palm. ④ Use the friction method to scrape the reflex areas of the soles of the feet and the head.

Quick reference for acupoints

Baihui acupoint: Baihui acupoint is located on the head, at the very center of the top of the head. It can be easily located by finding the midpoint of the line connecting the two ear corners.

Fengfu acupoint: On the posterior midline of the human body, 1 cun above the hairline.

Toulinqi acupoint: This acupoint is located on the head of the human body, 0.5 cun directly above the pupil and into the anterior hairline, at the midpoint of the line connecting Shenting acupoint and Touwei acupoint.

Yintang acupoint: Located on the face, at the midpoint of the line connecting the two eyebrows.

Fengchi (GB20): Located below the occipital bone, 1 cun directly above the midpoint of the posterior hairline and 1.5 cun lateral to the midline, approximately in the depression between the upper ends of the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles.

Jianjing acupoint: The midpoint of the line connecting Dazhui acupoint and the acromion, and the intersection of the line directly above the nipple and the shoulder line.

Quchi acupoint: With the elbow bent at a right angle, it is located at the midpoint of the line connecting the lateral end of the elbow crease and the lateral epicondyle of the humerus.

Dazhui acupoint: Located on the back, on the posterior midline of the body, in the depression below the spinous process of the 7th cervical vertebra.

Lung Shu point: located 1.5 cun lateral to the spinous process of the 3rd thoracic vertebra.

Xinshu acupoint: located 1.5 cun lateral to the spinous process of the 5th thoracic vertebra.

Changqiang acupoint: Located below the tip of the coccyx, at the midpoint of the line connecting the tip of the coccyx and the anus.

Sanyinjiao acupoint: 3 cun above the tip of the medial malleolus, on the posterior border of the medial aspect of the tibia.

Taichong acupoint: Located on the dorsum of the foot, in the depression anterior to the junction of the 1st and 2nd metatarsal bones.