Gua sha,

also called “scraping therapy,” is a technique that involves repeated pressurized strokes over pre-oiled skin with a smooth-edged instrument such as a ceramic Chinese soup spoon, a well worn coin, a polished piece of water buffalo horn, or a piece of jade. With firm pressure, the smooth edge is “scraped” on the surface of the skin along meridian pathways. Similar to the cupping method, this results in the appearance of small red petechiae, referred to as ‘sha.’ This practice removes blood stagnation and promotes circulation (of qi, blood and fluids) and metabolic processes. The marks on the skin may be slightly tender, but are not painful and, in fact, the patient experiences immediate relief from symptoms such as pain, stiffness, cough, and fever.