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Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine in which thin needles are inserted into the body. It is a key component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). TCM theory and practice are not based upon scientific knowledge,[4] and acupuncture is a pseudoscience. There is a diverse range of acupuncture theories based on different philosophies, and techniques vary depending on the country. The method used in TCM is likely the most widespread in the United States. It is most often used for pain relief, though it is also used for a wide range of other conditions. Acupuncture is generally used only in combination with other forms of treatment.
The conclusions of many trials and numerous systematic reviews of acupuncture are largely inconsistent, which suggests that it is not effective. An overview of Cochrane reviews found that acupuncture is not effective for a wide range of conditions. A systematic review of systematic reviews found little evidence of acupuncture's effectiveness in treating pain. The evidence suggests that short-term treatment with acupuncture does not produce long-term benefits. Some research results suggest acupuncture can alleviate pain, though the majority of research suggests that acupuncture's effects are mainly due to the placebo effect. A systematic review concluded that the analgesic effect of acupuncture seemed to lack clinical relevance and could not be clearly distinguished from bias. A meta-analysis found that acupuncture for chronic low back pain was cost-effective as an adjunct to standard care, while a systematic review found insufficient evidence for the cost-effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic low back pain.
Acupuncture is generally safe when done by an appropriately trained practitioner using clean needle technique and single-use needles. When properly delivered, it has a low rate of mostly minor adverse effects. Accidents and infections are associated with infractions of sterile technique or neglect of the practitioner. A review stated that the reports of infection transmission increased significantly in the prior decade. The most frequently reported adverse events were pneumothorax and infections. Since serious adverse events continue to be reported, it is recommended that acupuncturists be trained sufficiently to reduce the risk.
Scientific investigation has not found any histological or physiological evidence for traditional Chinese concepts such as qi, meridians, and acupuncture points, and many modern practitioners no longer support the existence of life force energy (qi) flowing through meridians, which was a major part of early belief systems. Acupuncture is believed to have originated around 100 BC in China, around the time The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine (Huangdi Neijing) was published, though some experts suggest it could have been practiced earlier. Over time, conflicting claims and belief systems emerged about the effect of lunar, celestial and earthly cycles, yin and yang energies, and a body's "rhythm" on the effectiveness of treatment. Acupuncture grew and diminished in popularity in China repeatedly, depending on the country's political leadership and the favor of rationalism or Western medicine. Acupuncture spread first to Korea in the 6th century AD, then to Japan through medical missionaries, and then to Europe, starting with France. In the 20th century, as it spread to the United States and Western countries, the spiritual elements of acupuncture that conflict with Western beliefs were abandoned in favor of tapping needles into nerves.

Clinical practice

One type of acupuncture needle

Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine. It is used most commonly for pain relief, though it is also used to treat a wide range of conditions. The majority of people who seek out acupuncture do so for musculoskeletal problems, including low back pain, shoulder stiffness, and knee pain. Acupuncture is generally only used in combination with other forms of treatment. For example, American Society of Anesthesiologists states it may be considered in the treatment for nonspecific, noninflammatory low back pain only in conjunction with conventional therapy.
Acupuncture is the insertion of thin needles into the skin. According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (Mayo Clinic), a typical session entails lying still while approximately five to twenty needles are inserted; for the majority of cases, the needles will be left in place for ten to twenty minutes. It can be associated with the application of heat, pressure, or laser light. Classically, acupuncture is individualized and based on philosophy and intuition, and not on scientific research. There is also a non-invasive therapy developed in early 20th century Japan using an elaborate set of "needles" for the treatment of children (shōnishin or shōnihari).
Clinical practice varies depending on the country. A comparison of the average number of patients treated per hour found significant differences between China (10) and the United States (1.2). Chinese herbs are often used. There is a diverse range of acupuncture approaches, involving different philosophies. Although various different techniques of acupuncture practice have emerged, the method used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) seems to be the most widely adopted in the US. Traditional acupuncture involves needle insertion, moxibustion, and cupping therapy, and may be accompanied by other procedures such as feeling the pulse and other parts of the body and examining the tongue. Traditional acupuncture involves the belief that a "life force" (qi) circulates within the body in lines called meridians. The main methods practiced in the UK are TCM and Western medical acupuncture. The term Western medical acupuncture is used to indicate an adaptation of TCM-based acupuncture which focuses less on TCM. The Western medical acupuncture approach involves using acupuncture after a medical diagnosis. Limited research has compared the contrasting acupuncture systems used in various countries for determining different acupuncture points and thus there is no defined standard for acupuncture points.
In traditional acupuncture, the acupuncturist decides which points to treat by observing and questioning the patient to make a diagnosis according to the tradition used. In TCM, the four diagnostic methods are: inspection, auscultation and olfaction, inquiring, and palpation. Inspection focuses on the face and particularly on the tongue, including analysis of the tongue size, shape, tension, color and coating, and the absence or presence of teeth marks around the edge. Auscultation and olfaction involve listening for particular sounds such as wheezing, and observing body odor. Inquiring involves focusing on the "seven inquiries": chills and fever; perspiration; appetite, thirst and taste; defecation and urination; pain; sleep; and menses and leukorrhea. Palpation is focusing on feeling the body for tender "A-shi" points and feeling the pulse.

Needles

Acupuncture needles

The most common mechanism of stimulation of acupuncture points employs penetration of the skin by thin metal needles, which are manipulated manually or the needle may be further stimulated by electrical stimulation (electroacupuncture). Acupuncture needles are typically made of stainless steel, making them flexible and preventing them from rusting or breaking. Needles are usually disposed of after each use to prevent contamination. Reusable needles when used should be sterilized between applications. Needles vary in length between 13 to 130 millimetres (0.51 to 5.12 in), with shorter needles used near the face and eyes, and longer needles in areas with thicker tissues; needle diameters vary from 0.16 mm (0.006 in) to 0.46 mm (0.018 in), with thicker needles used on more robust patients. Thinner needles may be flexible and require tubes for insertion. The tip of the needle should not be made too sharp to prevent breakage, although blunt needles cause more pain. Apart from the usual filiform needle, other needle types include three-edged needles and the Nine Ancient Needles. Japanese acupuncturists use extremely thin needles that are used superficially, sometimes without penetrating the skin, and surrounded by a guide tube (a 17th-century invention adopted in China and the West). Korean acupuncture uses copper needles and has a greater focus on the hand.

Needling technique

Insertion

The skin is sterilized and needles are inserted, frequently with a plastic guide tube. Needles may be manipulated in various ways, including spinning, flicking, or moving up and down relative to the skin. Since most pain is felt in the superficial layers of the skin, a quick insertion of the needle is recommended. Often the needles are stimulated by hand in order to cause a dull, localized, aching sensation that is called de qi, as well as "needle grasp," a tugging feeling felt by the acupuncturist and generated by a mechanical interaction between the needle and skin. Acupuncture can be painful. The skill level of the acupuncturist may influence how painful the needle insertion is, and a sufficiently skilled practitioner may be able to insert the needles without causing any pain.

De-qi sensation

De-qi (Chinese: 得气; pinyin: dé qì; "arrival of qi") refers to a sensation of numbness, distension, or electrical tingling at the needling site which might radiate along the corresponding meridian. If de-qi can not be generated, then inaccurate location of the acupoint, improper depth of needle insertion, inadequate manual manipulation, or a very weak constitution of the patient can be considered, all of which are thought to decrease the likelihood of successful treatment. If the de-qi sensation does not immediately occur upon needle insertion, various manual manipulation techniques can be applied to promote it (such as "plucking", "shaking" or "trembling"). Once de-qi is achieved, further techniques might be utilized which aim to "influence" the de-qi; for example, by certain manipulation the de-qi sensation allegedly can be conducted from the needling site towards more distant sites of the body. Other techniques aim at "tonifying" (Chinese: 补; pinyin: bǔ) or "sedating" (Chinese: 泄; pinyin: xiè) qi. The former techniques are used in deficiency patterns, the latter in excess patterns. De qi is more important in Chinese acupuncture, while Western and Japanese patients may not consider it a necessary part of the treatment.

Acupressure

Acupressure [from Latin acus "needle" (see acuity) + pressure (n.)] is an alternative medicine technique similar in principle to acupuncture. It is based on the concept of life energy which flows through "meridians" in the body. In treatment, physical pressure is applied to acupuncture points with the aim of clearing blockages in these meridians. Pressure may be applied by hand, by elbow, or with various devices.
Some medical studies have suggested that acupressure may be effective at helping manage nausea and vomiting, for helping lower back pain, tension headaches, stomach ache, among other things, although such studies have been found to have a high likelihood of bias. Like many alternative medicines, it may benefit from a placebo effect.
According to Quackwatch, acupressure is a dubious practice and its practitioners use irrational methods.

Background

Acupoints used in treatment may or may not be in the same area of the body as the targeted symptom. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory for the selection of such points and their effectiveness is that they work by stimulating the meridian system to bring about relief by rebalancing yin, yang and qi (also spelled "chi").
Many East Asian martial arts also make extensive study and use of acupressure for self-defense and health purposes, (chin na, tui na). The points or combinations of points are said to be used to manipulate or incapacitate an opponent. Also, martial artists regularly massage their own acupressure points in routines to remove supposed blockages from their own meridians, claiming to thereby enhance their circulation and flexibility and keeping the points "soft" or less vulnerable to an attack.

Efficacy

A 2011 systematic review of acupressure's effectiveness at treating symptoms found that 35 out of 43 randomized controlled trials had concluded that acupressure was effective at treating certain symptoms; however, the nature of these 43 studies "indicated a significant likelihood of bias." The authors of this systematic review concluded that this "review of clinical trials from the past decade did not provide rigorous support for the efficacy of acupressure for symptom management. Well-designed, randomized controlled studies are needed to determine the utility and efficacy of acupressure to manage a variety of symptoms in a number of patient populations."
A 2011 Cochrane review of four trials using acupuncture and nine studies using acupressure to control pain in childbirth concluded that "acupuncture or acupressure may help relieve pain during labour, but more research is needed". Another Cochrane Collaboration review found that massage provided some long-term benefit for low back pain, and stated: It seems that acupressure or pressure point massage techniques provide more relief than classic (Swedish) massage, although more research is needed to confirm this.
Quackwatch includes acupressure in a list of methods which have no "rational place" as massage therapy and states that practitioners "may also use irrational diagnostic methods to reach diagnoses that do not correspond to scientific concepts of health and disease."

P6 acupuncture point

An acupressure wristband that is claimed to relieve the symptoms of motion sickness and other forms of nausea provides pressure to the P6 acupuncture point, a point that has been extensively investigated. The Cochrane Collaboration reviewed the use of P6 for nausea and vomiting, and found it to be effective for reducing post-operative nausea, but not vomiting. The Cochrane review included various means of stimulating P6, including acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, transcutaneous nerve stimulation, laser stimulation, acustimulation device and acupressure; it did not comment on whether one or more forms of stimulation were more effective; it found low-quality evidence supporting stimulation of P6 compared with sham, with 2 out of 59 trials having low risk of bias. EBM reviewer Bandolier said that P6 in two studies showed 52% of patients with control having a success, compared with 75% with P6.

Theory

A variant system known as two point acupressure attempts to bypass a blockage of vital flow by using one acupoint to create a link with one of the collateral meridians, and then using one additional acupoint to stimulate or reduce the flow around the obstruction.

Criticism

Clinical use of acupressure frequently relies on the conceptual framework of traditional Chinese medicine. There is no physically verifiable anatomical or histological basis for the existence of acupuncture points or meridians. Proponents reply that TCM is a prescientific system that continues to have practical relevance. Acupuncturists tend to perceive TCM concepts in functional rather than structural terms (e.g., as being useful in guiding evaluation and care of patients). Any benefit from acupressure may derive from the placebo effect.

Instruments

There are several different instruments for applying nonspecific pressure by rubbing, rolling, or applying pressure on the reflex zones of the body. The acuball is a small ball made of rubber with protuberances that is heatable. It is used to apply pressure and relieve muscle and joint pain. The energy roller is a small cylinder with protuberances. It is held between the hands and rolled back and forth to apply acupressure. The foot roller (also "krupa chakra") is a round, cylindrical roller with protuberances. It is placed on the floor and the foot is rolled back and forth over it. The power mat (also pyramid mat) is a mat with small pyramid-shaped bumps that you walk on. The spine roller is a bumpy roller containing magnets that is rolled up and down the spine. The Teishein is one of the original nine classical acupuncture needles described in the original texts of acupuncture. Even though it is described as an acupuncture needle it did not pierce the skin. It is used to apply rapid percussion pressure to the points being treated.

Related practices

• Acupressure, a non-invasive form of bodywork, uses physical pressure applied to acupressure points by the hand or elbow, or with various devices.
• Acupuncture is often accompanied by moxibustion, the burning of cone-shaped preparations of moxa (made from dried mugwort) on or near the skin, often but not always near or on an acupuncture point. Traditionally, acupuncture was used to treat acute conditions while moxibustion was used for chronic diseases. Moxibustion could be direct (the cone was placed directly on the skin and allowed to burn the skin, producing a blister and eventually a scar), or indirect (either a cone of moxa was placed on a slice of garlic, ginger or other vegetable, or a cylinder of moxa was held above the skin, close enough to either warm or burn it).
• Cupping therapy is an ancient Chinese form of alternative medicine in which a local suction is created on the skin; practitioners believe this mobilizes blood flow in order to promote healing.
• Tui na is a TCM method of attempting to stimulate the flow of qi by various bare-handed techniques that do not involve needles.
• Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture in which acupuncture needles are attached to a device that generates continuous electric pulses (this has been described as "essentially transdermal electrical nerve stimulation [TENS] masquerading as acupuncture").
• Fire needle acupuncture also known as fire needling is a technique which involves quickly inserting a flame-heated needle into areas on the body.
• Sonopuncture is a stimulation of the body similar to acupuncture using sound instead of needles. This may be done using purpose-built transducers to direct a narrow ultrasound beam to a depth of 6–8 centimetres at acupuncture meridian points on the body. Alternatively, tuning forks or other sound emitting devices are used.
• Acupuncture point injection is the injection of various substances (such as drugs, vitamins or herbal extracts) into acupoints.
• Auriculotherapy, commonly known as ear acupuncture, auricular acupuncture, or auriculoacupuncture, is considered to date back to ancient China. It involves inserting needles to stimulate points on the outer ear. The modern approach was developed in France during the early 1950s. There is no scientific evidence that it can cure disease; the evidence of effectiveness is negligible.
• Scalp acupuncture, developed in Japan, is based on reflexological considerations regarding the scalp.
• Hand acupuncture, developed in Korea, centers around assumed reflex zones of the hand. Medical acupuncture attempts to integrate reflexological concepts, the trigger point model, and anatomical insights (such as dermatome distribution) into acupuncture practice, and emphasizes a more formulaic approach to acupuncture point location.
• Cosmetic acupuncture is the use of acupuncture in an attempt to reduce wrinkles on the face.
• Bee venom acupuncture is a treatment approach of injecting purified, diluted bee venom into acupoints.
• A 2006 review of veterinary acupuncture found that there is insufficient evidence to "recommend or reject acupuncture for any condition in domestic animals".Rigorous evidence for complementary and alternative techniques is lacking in veterinary medicine but evidence has been growing.

• Acupressure being applied to a hand.

• Sujichim, hand acupuncture

• Japanese moxibustion

• A woman receiving fire cupping in China.

Guasa Therapy - A Brief History

History of Guasa Therapy started way back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). For over 1000 years, this traditional Chinese therapy has been widely used to treat various types of health issues and it has proven itself to be as effective as acupuncture treatments. Most importantly, throughout the history, with the right tools and techniques, guasa therapy has no known side effects apart from the scary looking "sa" (reddish spots) that will stay visible for a duration that ranges from 2 days to 2 weeks (the shorter the duration, the healthier the cell metabolism of the patient).
Sadly, such a wonderful therapy slowly loses its popularity among Chinese physicians, and slowly turns into "a home therapy passed down by grandparents". If you ask your Chinese friends, you'll find that many of them only know guasa therapy as a therapy that relief heat stroke. Only a handful of people actually knows the true benefit of guasa therapy. Here are the 3 reasons why guasa therapy's popularity deteriorates over time:

1. The scary looking "sa" - We all know that beauty is very important to many people, especially among the ladies, so guasa therapy became less and less popular among them because they felt that the "sa" looks ugly. There is a popular Chinese saying that directly translates to, "want beauty, don't want life". Beauty is more important than their health, so if it's going to effect their appearance, they rather continue to endure the health issue, or look for alternatives that won't effect their appearance. In these days, this is also true among many guys.
2. The "pain" during treatment - In general, people are afraid of pain. Guasa therapy looks painful in most cases, so many people are actually afraid of it. Just like kids who feared going for injection. It is not really that painful, but the fear couldn't be controlled.
3. It is too easy to learn - Due to it's simplicity, anyone can learn guasa therapy almost instantly. Though it takes some practice to actually master the strokes, but it is still one of the easiest therapy to learn. If you enrich your knowledge of meridian paths and meridian points, you can even use guasa therapy to treat various diseases. Since it is so simple to learn, Chinese physicians felt that guasa therapy is not "professional", so they began to demerit guasa therapy and promotes acupuncture that made them look more "professional".
   Since guasa is not very famous among the professionals, it is very difficult to obtain valuable information about it in bookstores or even online, especially if you are trying to look for guasa information in languages other than Chinese. Special thanks and gratitude to Elken Sdn Bhd for revealing this hidden treasure and returning it into the limelight where it rightfully belongs.

Introduction to Guasa Therapy

Definition of Guasa

The word, "guasa", is actually created from the combination of the spelling of 2 Chinese words' pronunciation, "gua" and "sa". The word "gua" literally means "scrap" and the word "sa" literally means "sand". So guasa means scrapping sand? No, it doesn't. In fact, it has got nothing to do with sand at all. For some reason, the reddish dots that appeared on the surfaced of our skin during guasa looks like sand to them, so they named it sand. To avoid confusion, I will use "sa" instead. Just as its name implies, guasa is a therapy that make use of scrapping technique to achieve healing results, so it is also commonly known as the scrapping therapy or massage therapy. The "sa" actually refers to the toxic and dead cells that were accumulated beneath our skin.

What are the tools required?

The only tool that you will need to perform guasa is a scrapping board that doesn't transmit heat and electrostatic charges. During Tang Dynasty and Ming Dynasty, the royal Chinese physicians use scrapping boards that are made of jade! Nowadays, we use scrapping boards that are made from water buffalo's horn. Compared to jade, water buffalo horn is just so much cheaper and it doesn't break as easily as jade. Most importantly, just like jade, water buffalo horn scrapping boards also doesn't transmit heat and electrostatic charges. This two properties are critical because it helps to prevent the therapist from absorbing the negative "qi" released by the patient's body. So make sure you do not try to use coin, rock, spoon, plastic scrapping board or anything else to substitute the buffalo horn scrapping board.
If you need to perform guasa on naked skin, guasa oil will be needed to further enhance the therapeutic effect as well as to avoid damaging your skin with the scrapping board. Good massage oil can be used as well, but proper guasa oil will be highly recommended. The iron rule of thumb here: Always use the right tool for the task!

What are the "sa"?

Just as I have mentioned above, the "sa" is actually dead cells and toxic that our body accumulated within our body over time. According to guasa therapy, "sa" is the root cause of all health issues in our body. These "sa" will disrupt the flow of blood and "qi" (energy flow) in our body, hence causing us problems. According to Chinese wisdom, if the flow of blood is blocked, we will experience pain, and if the flow of "qi" is blocked, we will experience numbness. Seriously, we should stop taking pain killers when we experience pain. Our body is seeking our attention regarding the blocked blood flow, hence it is sending us the pain signal. Stop asking our body to shut up with pain killers.

How does guasa works?

The science behind guasa is simple and very straight forward, unblock the blocked flow of blood and "qi" and your health will be restored. While performing guasa, it will activate the meridian paths in our body, telling it to clear the blockage along its path. There are altogether 20 meridian paths (12 standard meridians that are directly associated with our internal organs, and 8 extraordinary meridians that are pivotal in the studies of QiGong, Tai Chi and Chinese Alchemy) in our body, out of which only 14 meridian paths formed by a total of 751 meridian points are needed in guasa therapy. These meridian paths are invisible vessels of energy in our body that is responsible in controlling the flow of blood and "qi". When performing guasa, we are actually scrapping the meridian paths that are invisible in human anatomy, and it should NOT be mistaken as scrapping our physical blood veins, blood arteries or blood vessels that are visible in human anatomy. The existence of of these meridian paths were being cast aside in the past as pseudoscience because they were being mistaken as anatomical drawings. However, recent science has finally cleared the misunderstanding and caught up to this ancient wisdom. The existence of these meridian paths are now scientifically proven to exist. The 12 standard meridians (grouped with accordance to their yin & yang nature, and the time frame indicates the time when they are most active) paths are:

1. Lung Meridian (Yin, 3am-5am)Heart Meridian (Yin, 11am-1pm)
2. Heart Meridian (Yin, 11am-1pm)
3. Pericardium Meridian (Yin, 7pm-9pm)
4. Spleen Meridian (Yin, 9am-11am)
5. Kidney Meridian (Yin, 5pm-7pm)
6. Liver Meridian (Yin, 1am-3am)
7. Triple Warmer/Triple Burner Meridian (Yang, 9pm-11pm)
8. Small Intestine Meridian (Yang, 1pm-3pm)
9. Big Intestine Meridian (Yang, 5am-7am)
10. Gal Bladder Meridian (Yang, 11pm-1am)
11. Urinary Bladder Meridian (Yang, 3pm-5pm)
12. Stomach Meridian (Yang, 7am-9am)

The 2 extraordinary meridians are:

1. Conception Vessel (Ren Mai)
2. Governing Vessel (Du Mai)

What are the benefits of guasa therapy?

Many people only know that guasa therapy is just for relieving heat stroke issues or just for releasing the excessive 'heat' from the body. The reason for that is because their guasa knowledge is being taught by their great grandparents, who probably self-taught their guasa knowledge through observation and word of mouth. In actual fact, guasa has these 10 benefits:

1. Promote metabolism and oxygen intake - Guasa therapy can be used as a form of aerobic exercise for our entire body cells. Good cell metabolism and high oxygen intake will ensure that our cells can carry out their tasks effectively.
2. Relieve sore muscles, joint pains and lethargy - Guasa therapy is good for all sorts of sports injuries that doesn't involve bleeding, cuts, wounds, fractured bones, dislocated joints or broken bones. If you sprained your muscles, sprained a part of your body (wrist, arm, feet, etc.), have stiff neck or shoulders, muscle cramp, or feels lethargy, guasa is an excellent treatment that provides instant relief. During the Olympics, which was held in Beijing in 2008, guasa therapy is used to treat athletes who sprained themselves, had muscle cramps, or experience lethargy right before competition starts, allowing them to continue to participate in their competition without any issue.
3. Regulate blood circulation - Just like aerobic sports, guasa therapy also helps to promote blood circulation in our body. Good blood circulation will ensure that our body is well supplied with oxygen, making us more energetic.
4. Activate cells by promoting oxygen intake to remove bruises - Normally, when someone got bruises, they would avoid touching it as it hurts. If you could endure the pain for a couple of minutes, guasa therapy can help to remove the bruises almost instantly. You may still see the purplish color of the bruised area, but you will not feel the pain anymore and the swollen bump is gone! Pain for 2 minutes or pain for 2-4 days? Choose for yourself.
5. Strengthen the immune system - Guasa therapy activates the 14 meridian paths in our body, hence it enhances our immune system greatly. A strong immune system will ensure that our body could defend us from harmful microorganism invasions and free from diseases.
6. Promote youthfulness and beauty - Guasa therapy is widely used in many beauty saloons because of it's wonderful, scientifically proven ability to promote youth and beauty. It can be used for body slimming, skin firming & lifting (face, breasts, and buttocks), and you get to enhance your health at the same time. It is also very famous as relaxation massage therapy.
7. Promote physical fitness - Guasa therapy helps to enhance our body's detoxification functions, thus making our body fit. With all the above 6 benefits combines, our body can truly become fit.
8. Slow down ageing process - This is also another reason why guasa therapy is very famous in beauty saloons. It is anti-ageing! As we grow older, our cells metabolism rate deteriorates, and made us look old. Guasa therapy can enhance & promote our cells metabolism, making it one of the cheapest way to slow down ageing.
9. Give relief to symptoms of illnesses or diseases - A guasa therapy handbook, written by a reputable Taiwanese guasa therapist, recorded 400 types of clinically proven guasa therapy techniques that can give relief to symptoms of illnesses or diseases such as migraine, menstrual issue, high blood pressure, diabetes, gout, stroke, erectile dysfunction, gastric, and asthma, just to name a few.
10. Pinpoint the source of a disease - This is another great benefit of guasa therapy that most people do not know. Guasa therapy is able to pinpoint the source of diseases way before it even get to the point of being labelled as a disease. Hence it is an excellent form of preventive therapy. Guasa therapy allows you to grasp the general health conditions of your internal organs, allowing you to prevent them from getting worse. While diagnosing your health, guasa therapy is also correcting your health issue at the same time.

The Three Types of Guasa Therapy

Guasa therapy is generally divided into 3 categories, guasa massage, diagnostic guasa, and disease treatment guasa. In step 2 of Elken's MRT Concept, only guasa massage and diagnostic guasa techniques are being taught because MRT concept is all about health, so we should leave the treatment part back to the rightfully certified Guasa therapy specialists. Just as we should seek medical advice from doctor. Don't try to act as a pharmacist and prescribe medicine yourself. Medication suppression and control of illnesses & diseases symptoms are the job of doctors, but restoration and optimization of our own health is our own responsibilities.

The 1st type - Guasa Massage

This guasa technique is the technique that is used in beauty saloons. Guasa massage can be performed on a daily basis without the need to worry about the "sa" showing up. For facial beauty guasa massage, we may perform the massage while using cream type facial mask, and it only takes less than 3 minutes to complete. Guasa massage on our head, arms, legs, lower back and abdomen can be performed on our own, at anytime of the day, and on a daily basis. If you wish to do a more thorough guasa massage for your entire back, you'll need an assistant. A full body guasa massage only takes less than 30 minutes to complete (20 strokes for each meridian paths). In step 2 of Elken's MRT concept, 2 types of guasa massage techniques are being taught:

1. The 12 Meridians Guasa Exercise - Simple guasa massage techniques that activates the 14 meridian paths in our body, allowing us to do aerobic exercise for not only our external body, but also our internal organs.
2. Hot Guasa Spa - A special, body shaping & slimming massage technique that is uniquely taught in Elken.

The 2nd type - Diagnostic Guasa

This guasa technique requires an assistant because it needs to be carried out on the entire back of an individual. Diagnostic guasa CANNOT be carried out on a daily basis because we'll need to wait until our body fully metabolism the "sa" first. There are 2 reasons why we cannot do diagnostic guasa on a daily basis:

1. We may injure our body as we did not give it sufficient time to process the "sa". If you haven't done any sports for a long period of time and you suddenly went for an aggressive sport session, you'll be experiencing muscle pain the very next day. The same situation applies when you perform diagnostic guasa. The next day, the individual will be experiencing muscle pain on the areas where diagnostic guasa is being carried out. So you would be experiencing unnecessary pain if you forcefully do another guasa session the next day.
2. Our body would be too busy processing the "sa" so there is no point trying to give it even more work to do. Besides, the automatic survival mechanism in our body will also prevent our body from releasing more "sa".

So there is absolutely no point in trying to do diagnostic guasa everyday. You can still do the 12 meridians guasa exercise on other parts of your body though.

The 3rd type - Disease Treatment Guasa

This guasa technique requires sound knowledge of not only the 12 meridian paths, but also the 751 acupuncture points along all these meridian paths. We should leave this part for the certified guasa therapy specialists as thorough diagnostic is required to identify the illness/disease. Once you have confirmed the exact illness/disease, you may follow the guidance of a guasa handbook to carry out treatment guasa, or continue to leave the symptom relieving task to the professionals.

Good Guasa Practices

Since we are just focusing on guasa massage and guasa diagnostic, so below are a few things that we should take note of:

1. Use the right tool for the task - Avoid using guasa boards that are made of any other materials that are not real jade or real water buffalo horn. Make sure that proper guasa oil is used, especially for diagnostic guasa.
2. Always perform guasa massage in a spacious enclosed room - During guasa, our sweat gland will open up, allowing it to release excessive heat, negative energy and even sweat. Therefore, the room should be enclosed, but not suffocating, and most importantly, don't point any fan or air sources directly at the area where guasa massage is performed. This is to avoid external winds from entering our body via the opened sweat gland. The same reason why we shouldn't be cooling ourselves in front of a fan right after sports. It may feels good, but you'll receive the toll in future.
3. The person who is performing diagnostic guasa on the other individual's back should always stand either on the left or right side of the individual throughout the guasa session. The person performing diagnostic guasa must NOT stand directly behind the individual's back.
4. Guasa massage and diagnostic guasa is similar to aerobic sports, so do NOT do it on an empty stomach, or when you are fasting. There shouldn't be any problem to perform guasa massage on empty stomach, unless you have starved a few days, but performing diagnostic guasa on empty stomach (haven't eaten for over 8 hours) could cause the person to faint. If the person haven't eaten anything for over 8 hours, it is better to make some light cereal drink for the person to drink before carrying out diagnostic guasa on them.
5. Diagnostic guasa should not be performed during pregnancy. It is safe if we are perfectly healthy, but in these days, almost nobody is perfectly healthy, so it is better to be safe than sorry.
6. If you ever went through operation to replace bones with mechanical parts, do NOT perform guasa therapy on those areas. The sharp edges of the mechanical parts could inflict internal injuries or wounds. So again, better be safe than sorry.
7. After guasa session, one should drink a glass of warm water. Water plays an important role in detoxification, so drinking a glass of warm water will allow our body to process the "sa" more effectively.
8. Do NOT shower straight away after a guasa session. To be on the safe side, please wait at least 1 hour after the guasa session. 30 minutes is actually sufficient for most people especially athletes or people who do sports regularly.
9. After performing diagnostic guasa, use guasa oil to clean the guasa board, do NOT use water or soapy water. Good guasa oil has antibacterial property and can help to prolong the lifespan of guasa board. Using water will cause the guasa board to become too moist, making it bad for the next person who receive diagnostic guasa with it.
10. Guasa therapy is NOT complete without detoxification. We need to ensure that the "sa" are successfully flushed out of our body, therefore detoxification is a MUST after any session of diagnostic guasa or disease treatment guasa. The detoxification that we are talking about here is non other than replenishing our colon with bifidus. Taking slimming detox tea, hi-fiber detox products, or any other detoxification products that doesn't replenish our colon's beneficial bacteria is USELESS. Guasa therapy works best with a healthy colon, and the ONE and ONLY way to ensure that our colon is healthy is ensuring that it has sufficient beneficial bacteria, without which our colon is as good as a car without an engine.
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