Bih-Cheng Chen1* Ting-Yu Huang1
1School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
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Gua-Sha (Scraping) and Cupping therapy are less commonly used in clinical practice in the contemporary Traditional Chinese Medicine healthcare system. Instead, they are more commonly used in folk therapy. However, in addition to the loss of medical tools in the medical profession, it has resulted in some undesirable effects. For example, excessive Gua-Sha and Cupping, as well as the lack of posttreatment care, can cause localized fibrosis. In view of this, we hope to promote the correct complementary measures through this article, in the hope to make a contribution to the public health. In this paper, we first discuss the physiological effects of Gua-Sha and Cupping. The local physiological effects of both therapies could be understood from the concept of “destruction followed by reconstruction”. From the three stages of wound healing in the modern physiology concepts–Inflammatory Phase, Proliferative Phase, Maturation (Remodeling) Phase, the complementary measures that should be given to the patients at each stage were examined. Conceptually, the physiological goals of these stages could be achieved through methods including pricking bloodletting method, prescribing bloodactivating and stasis-dispelling medicines, hot compress, massage and sinew manipulation therapy (different methods are required for each stage). Finally, in consideration, it may be a better protection to the patients’ health when Gua-Sha and Cupping therapy can be restored to the same status as Acupuncture, Moxibustion, Herbal formulation in which the TCM Practitioners can provide the necessary treatments after diagnosis.
Keywords:Gua-sha, scrapping, ba-guan, cupping, fibrosis, blood-letting, blood activating, dispel stasis
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