Does "Gua Sha" help for muscles?

Self-myofascial release can improve your flexibility, performance, and range of motion by massaging away restrictions to return tissues to their normal extensibility.


*IMPORTANT: Gua Sha is not meant to take the place of foam rolling, but rather to be used in conjunction.


How to perform Gua Sha


here is no special course or certification needed to perform basic movements at home. Check out Sidekick's Youtube channel for a quick how-to tutorial before you get started.

Identify areas of your body that are sore (yes, even headaches! The Gua Sha technique can help alleviate muscle tension that commonly leads to headaches and migraines).

Apply the warming balm (or a lotion/oil) so that the Gua Sha tool will slide easily over the affected area.

Scrape for 20-30 seconds in a unilateral direction, applying the same amount of pressure as you would if you were squeezing a peach to check if it was ripe (or just think in terms of light-moderate pressure).

Scrape the arms and legs downwards, away from the heart. The same goes for the back: down along spine, otherwise down and outwards towards the edges of the body. Shoulders go outwards, away from the midline, and the neck goes upwards. See the diagram for more details.