Autumn Scraping: A Clever Way to Relieve Cervical Pain
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the human body's functions are in a state of "receiving" in the autumn. Some waste and toxins can easily accumulate in the body. At this time, timely scraping can have a great detoxifying effect. There is even a popular saying, "Scrape on the day of the Start of Autumn, and live to be eighty-eight."
As summer turns to autumn, the weather gradually cools. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the human body's functions are in a state of "receiving" in the autumn. Some waste and toxins can easily accumulate in the body. At this time, timely scraping can have a great detoxifying effect. There is even a popular saying, "Scrape on the day of the Start of Autumn, and live to be eighty-eight."
In recent years, scraping therapy for sub-health conditions like cervical spondylosis, "air-conditioning sickness," and dysmenorrhea has become very popular among urban professionals. This is not only because it is effective and has no side effects, but most importantly, it is simple to perform and can even be done by oneself during work breaks. So, how exactly is self-scraping performed? What tools, techniques, and locations should be mastered?
Nowadays, more and more office workers are suffering from cervical spondylosis due to long hours of sitting at a desk, which causes muscle strain. Dong Yanfen, Director of Xiyuan Hospital in Beijing, suggests that if you experience cervical discomfort at work, you can perform simple scraping to relieve it. Before scraping, you must first prepare a scraping board.
It is best to use a water buffalo horn, Bian stone, or jade for scraping. Because water buffalo horn and jade are themselves materials used in traditional Chinese medicine, they have the effect of activating blood circulation, removing stasis, and promoting the flow of qi. If you don't have such a scraping board at home, you can use whatever is at hand, as long as the edge is smooth, such as a one-yuan coin, a porcelain spoon, or even the edge of a bowl, as long as the edge is smooth.
For simple self-scraping, any object with a smooth edge can serve as a scraping board. The scraping process and technique are also relatively simple. Whether scraping at a hospital or at home, you must first apply oil. Hospitals have specialized scraping oil, while at home, olive oil or vegetable oil can generally be used. Scraping is generally done from top to bottom. If you are doing it at home, you usually only scrape the cervical spine section, as it is more convenient for self-scraping. If you are at a hospital or have someone to help, you can also scrape the thoracic spine. This is because many cases of cervical spondylosis are actually cervico-brachial syndrome, with pain in both the neck and shoulders, allowing for simultaneous treatment. Scrape the middle first, then the sides. For a younger patient with good physical constitution but a more severe condition, a stronger technique can be used; if the patient's constitution is weaker, the technique should be lighter. Generally, scrape about 10 to 20 times. Also, during the scraping process, try to make the scraping surface as long as possible. Scrape in one direction from top to bottom, and avoid scraping back and forth.
Scraping can be said to be a simple and quick method for treating cervical spondylosis. Usually, after a session of self-scraping like this, the muscles in the neck can be relaxed, and blood circulation is also enhanced, which effectively relieves the symptoms of neck and shoulder pain.