Headaches are a common symptom, sometimes stemming from excessive psychological pressure or mental tension, and other times caused by conditions such as hypertension, cerebral hemorrhage, or aneurysms.Traditional Chinese medicine holds that the head is the crown of yang energy, and the brain is the sea of marrow. Regardless of the cause, headaches are associated with imbalances in the flow of qi and blood along the meridians of the head, as well as qi stagnation and blood stasis. Therefore, using gua sha to clear these meridians can provide rapid relief from headaches.
It is best to use a water buffalo horn gua sha comb as the scraping tool. Water buffalo horn inherently promotes blood circulation and disperses stasis. When scraping the head, it does not generate static electricity. Furthermore, the specialized gua sha comb has rounded, blunt teeth that will not damage the scalp.The scraping technique mirrors daily hair brushing: begin by scraping the crown and back of the head. Start from the Baihui point (as shown) at the crown, moving forward toward the hairline. Then, scrape backward from Baihui to the nape of the neck.Next, scrape the sides of the head. Position the gua sha board vertically at the Touwei point (as shown) on the front hairline and above the ear, scraping backward toward the hairline behind the ear—trace a question mark around the ear. Alternatively, scrape radially outward from the Baihui point.
Key points for gua sha headache treatment: First, apply pressure deep into the scalp—gua sha is not hair styling but aims to stimulate acupoints beneath the scalp. Second, identify tender points during scraping and focus on these areas, performing 20–30 strokes per spot until warmth develops in the scalp.For migraine sufferers, focus scraping on both sides of the head. Since hair covers the scalp, no scraping oil is needed; however, apply a moderate amount if hair is sparse or balding. Avoid scraping areas with scalp boils or abscesses.
It must be emphasized that while head scraping can quickly relieve headache symptoms, to consolidate the therapeutic effect, it is essential to identify the cause of the headache and combine treatment with other methods.