Gua means to scrape and Sha means redness or swelling. Gua Sha is the therapeutic use of instruments to apply pressure or friction, either over muscle tissue, joints or specific acupuncture pathways, which helps to circulate blood, lymph and Qi in the body. It encourages the removal of metabolic waste in the skin and superficial muscle tissues. This technique is often used to treat various pain conditions, especially muscle, tendon, ligament and connective tissue disorders/injuries, and can be used to enhance the immune response when fighting colds & flu.