I Had Recurring Pain Until I Tried This All-Natural Chinese Healing Method
Gua sha is a natural method to reduce inflammation rooted in Chinese medicine that includes a ceramic spoon, metal cap with a rounded edge, or jade formed into a round-edge instrument. In recent years, in addition to rolling with either jade or rose quartz, skincare enthusiasts have encouraged us to add them to our self-care regimens. What's often left out of the conversation is that Gua sha is an effective tool on our entire bodies, and not just our faces.
A few months ago, I came across Tiffany Haddish having a Gua sha tool used on her neck by a licensed Gua sha massage therapist called Tha Muscle Whisper. The comedian was seen being scraped to eliminate the build-up and lactic acid in her body. Instantly, I was intrigued because of the inflammation that was running rampant throughout my own body.
I'm currently on a weight loss journey and when I reached my halfway point, I started to run and incorporate HIIT workouts into my weekly routine. About two months into my workout regimen, I had unbearable pains in my legs, and upon visiting the doctor, I discovered that I developed tendonitis, an inflammation of the tendon caused by repetitive use or injury. My body wasn't ready for the righteous workouts that I had started to enjoy, and my doctor recommended that I explore physical therapy––and injections.
I was confident that physical therapy would help, but months in, I was still in excruciating pain. My daily commute to the city had me walking a lot, and for the treatment to work, I'd have to spend hours a day off my feet so my therapist recommended that I'd consider cortisone injections.
Yasmine Jameelah/xoNecole
A month into the injections, I realized that it was a short-term fix, and I wanted to fight this holistically. I researched massages, doctors, and nothing spoke to me the way Gua sha did.
I had a FaceTime call with Jackie, Tha Muscle Whisperer, and she and I worked to tackle the inflamed areas of my body that I'd been searching for relief in. The next morning, I woke up with bruises––but days later, I felt so much relief and I now scrape at least two times a month.
Finding deeper relief from Gua sha scraping has empowered me to explore healing in multiple areas of my body where pain and trauma lived. Often we don't realize that our body holds onto pain just as much as we do, and now I turn to Gua sha instead of any over-the-counter medicine.
Here's what I've learned since using body Gua sha healing:
Why Gua Sha Works
The root word of Gua sha, Gua, comes from traditional Chinese medicine and is often referred to as scraping. The motion used causes tiny blood vessels near the surface of the skin called capillaries to burst and creates red or purple bruises. Gua sha is used to eliminate lactic acid, and inflammation is the underlying cause of several conditions associated with chronic pain. Rubbing the skin's surface allows for practitioners to improve blood circulation, break up fascia, and promote healing. While facial Gua sha scraping is used to improve wrinkles, and de-puff our faces, body Gua sha scraping is often used solely to reduce pain.
What Gua Sha Can Help To Eliminate
Gua sha can help eliminate muscle tightness, pre-menopausal pain, inflammation, breast engorgement, cellulite, knee pain, migraine headaches, carpal tunnel, arthritis, and repetitive strain injuries.
What To Expect After Gua Sha Treatment
When it comes to post-Gua sha treatment, you can expect bruises and soreness in the body. The marks itself will go away within a few days but to give yourself relief, apply ice to the inflamed area.
Body Gua Sha VS Face Gua Sha
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The strokes that are used in scraping for the face are milder, in comparison to body scrapes as they are a bit more intense, and typically oil is applied to the area. But do not let the pain deter you from the healing that will take place in the aftermath, it's the best pain I've ever felt.
You Shouldn’t Scrape If You:
- Have medical conditions affecting the skin or veins
- Bleed easily
- Take medication to thin their blood
- Have deep vein thrombosis
- Have an infection, tumor, or wound that has not healed fully
- Have an implant, such as a pacemaker or internal defibrillator
(Via Medical News Today)
How To Find A Gua Sha Massage Therapist
While many people (especially during COVID-19) are practicing self-healing, it's recommended to only seek out a licensed Gua sha massage therapist.
Our bodies hold inflammation, pain, and trauma in certain areas consistently. Before going to receive an injection or over-the-counter pills, consider this holistic method and be empowered to explore an alternative to healing.
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Dubbed one of the "21 Black Women Wellness Influencers You Should Follow" by Black + Well, Yasmine Jameelah continues to leave her digital footprint across platforms ranging from Forever 21 Plus, Vaseline, and R29 Unbothered discussing all things healing and body positivity. As a journalist, her writing can be found on sites such as Blavity, Blacklove.com, and xoNecole. Jameelah is also known for her work shattering unconventional stigmas surrounding wellness through her various mediums, including her company Transparent Black Girl. Find Yasmine @YasmineJameelah across all platforms.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Liposuction is one of the most popular cosmetic plastic surgical procedures, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, and on average, it may run you close to $ 4,000. While many people are still turning to surgery to get the look they want, there are many alternatives that are noninvasive and overall safer that are starting to get some shine. Like a lot of people during the pandemic, I had put on a few extra pounds, and I was looking at all the different methods that can help me look and feel great.
I don’t remember how I ran across it, but I began researching laser lipo, and before I knew it, I had booked my first appointment of many. I entered the medispa and was taken to a room and told to lie down. Then, I had lasers placed on top of my stomach for about 30 minutes, and I was done. While it sounds simple, it can take multiple sessions to get the desired look you want. That was a couple of years ago. However, I decided to try it again. This time with a different practitioner and a few add-ons, including wood therapy, cavitation, skin tightening, and vacuum therapy. Let’s dig deeper.
What Is Laser Lipo?
Laser lipo is a non-invasive procedure that penetrates through the skin and shrinks the fat. Not only is it simpler than regular lipo, but it’s also less expensive. Tammy Bell of Sculpted By Bella Beauty Bar, where she offers these noninvasive services, tells us why more people are turning to laser lipo.
“It’s noninvasive. You don’t have no downtime at all, unlike lipo and the different surgeries you have downtime with that,” she says. “You get results. It’s a little slower than regular lipo, but you get results that you want.” Because everyone’s body is different, the results may vary. However, Tammy says it’s also based on lifestyle habits such as what you’re eating and how active you are.
Laser lipo is just one of the many noninvasive services to choose from. See more below.
Wood Therapy
Microgen Images/ Science Photo Library/ Getty Images
If you follow Tracee Ellis Ross on Instagram or TikTok, then you probably saw the video of her using wooden tools to sculpt her body. This method is called wood therapy, and let me tell you, it’s not for the faint of heart. In my experience, it’s a weird sensation and a little painful. However, they say beauty is pain.
Tammy breaks down what wood therapy is. “It actually breaks up the fat, and it contours your body. It moves the fat through your lymphatic system,” she explains.
Skin Tightening
Another treatment is skin tightening. As we get older, our skin loses elasticity, and this service targets sagging skin for a tighter appearance. “The heat actually helps tighten the skin,” Tammy says about the skin-tightening tool that is used during the service. “It helps build collagen for your skin to tighten.”
Cavitation
Cavitation liquifies the fat, and it’s the only service out of this list that can’t be done on your face. “With the cavitation and all that stuff, if you notice, I always come in, and then I go down because you have your lymph nodes for your lymphatic system for it to drain,” she says, explaining the technique she does when using the tools on the body.
“That’s why it’s important for you to drink a lot of water ‘cause you (the fat) have to either come out in your sweat or your urine.”
Vacuum Therapy
Vacuum therapy involves suction cups that lift the skin. While I’ve only used it on my stomach, Healthline reports that many people are using it to get a butt lift. “Vacuum therapy moves the fat, and if you want to get a butt lift, you push the fat up,” Tammy says.
Costs
Costs vary per service and per practitioner. However, I spent around $400 and got all the aforementioned services done within five appointments.
Results
Body sculpting results
Photo courtesy of London Alexaundria
My target areas were my back, stomach, and arms, and I am satisfied with the results I received in such a short amount of time. You can get these services done separately and get good results, but I decided to try them all together as a part of a package. Just like they will tell you after getting regular lipo, for lasting results, you must make sure to keep a healthy lifestyle.
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