Pediatric Gua Sha for Allergies, Coughs & Colds with Video

Pediatric Gua Sha or Scraping Massage is effective for treating allergies, coughs, colds, and fever in children. 

It can be used for kids ages 4 and up with a modification to use less pressure. In my experience, I've found that children respond really quickly when I use gua sha in addition to a regular treatment.

Focus on the Upper Back

To treat these conditions focus the gua sha on the Urinary Bladder Channel along the upper back.

To start, be sure to rub a small amount of almond, apricot kernel, or jojoba oil on the upper back. In older kids I often use Po Sum On Oil - just check to make sure they're ok with a little tingle on their skin.

Kid-Sized Gua Sha Tools

Smaller gua sha tools that work on children are available at most acupuncture suppliers but go here for my favorites from Lhasa OMS. I got the heart-shaped jade tool in the video is at Lhasa OMS.

Side Note: I occasionally give these out as fun little holiday gifts and they go over really well.

Here are Some Quick Tips for Doing Gua Sha on kids:

• Use a firm but gentle pressure
• Check in to see how the pressure is
• Watch body language - if they squirm the pressure is probably too hard
• Change sides periodically so one side doesn't get sore
• Aim for turning the skin pink
• Kids won't necessarily have any petechia (unlike adults)

Watch the Video Below for a Pediatric Gua Sha Demonstration