Pediatric Gua Sha for Allergies, Coughs & Colds with Video

Pediatric Gua Sha for Cough, Allergies, & Immunity

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.

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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

 

Gua sha can easily be taught to parents for home care when their child is sick or suffering from a cold or allergies.  If you'd like to share this technique with your patients and their parents, Click Here to visit RobinRayGreen.com where I have an instructional blog post for them.

3 comments

A Review of 2015 and Our Most Popular Blog Posts - Acupuncture Pediatrics
 

[…] #5 Pediatric Gua Sha for Allergies, Coughs & Colds with Video […]
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Ashley Flores
 

Is there a reason not to do guasha with kids under 4?
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Deanna Buoniconti
 

Hi Ashley, It's a more stimulating technique, which is why it is used in children that are a little older. For children under 4, it's better to use Tuina massage instead. Best, Robin's Team
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