► Gua Sha for Tennis Elbow

Treating Tennis Elbow with Gua Sha [VIDEO]

Tendonitis VS Tendinosis

You should distinguish between Tendonitis VS Tendinosis.

Tendonitis is a state of acute inflammation. Tendinosis is chronic degenerative changes in connective tissues, often related to overuse.

Think of a tendinitis like a fire in the forest. You goals are to first control, then extinguish the fire.

Tendinosis, on the other hand, would be similar to the rotting wood in the forest.

Instructions

You can use a simple buffalo horn scraper for this technique or something with smooth edges. They sometimes recommend a coin, but I don't believe it's a good choice. A coin's edges are not enough smooth as for me.

Start with trigger points, or ah-shi points. "Ah-shi points" can be translated literally as "ouch points".

Scrape in one direction. Don't make back and forth movement.

It's better to put some oil before scraping. Read our How to choose oil for gua sha guide to learn more.

Gradually increase the pressure as you become less sensitive.

A discomfort should be tolerable.

The muscles to be treated should be positioned to completely relax.

Petechia is not necessary for this treatment. If it showed up, wait few days until it's gone before a new gua sha session. Without petechia (bruising), the treatment can be repeated every day.

A whole session may last for about 5 minutes.