How to Use Coining to Treat Back Aches
Back aches are just one of the common ailments coining is used to treat. Also called "cao gio," or "gua sha," coining is a type of East Asian alternative medicine. This practice is most commonly used in Southeast Asia in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. Immigrants from these areas continue to practice coining in the U.S. as well. In coining, a cointhe edge of a spoon or a similar instrument is used to cause abrasions on the skin. These abrasions are believed to provide portals to release excess "wind" in the body. Back aches and other ailments are believed to be caused by excess wind, so coining helps to relieve the pain.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Use Tiger Balm or another mentholated ointment or oil to massage the skin on the back. The massage and the oils warm the skin and irritate it. This is necessary for the coining treatment to be effective.
-
2
Hold a coin with the edge against the surface of the skin. Use a U.S. quarter that has been slightly worn. To treat back aches, coining can be performed on the part of the back that aches as well as on other areas of the back.
-
-
3
Hold the coin down and rub it in 4- to 6-inch strokes away from the heart. Always move the coin in 1 direction only rather than in a back-and-forth motion.
-
4
Continue rubbing the coin over the skin until a red mark that looks like a bruise appears. How long this takes can vary from one patient to another.
-
5
Move onto another location on the back. Coining is not usually done in just 1 spot. Typically, symmetrical locations are chosen to maintain balance.
-
6
Note the color of the bruises that emerge from the coining locations. Among coining practitioners, back aches are believed to be caused by "wind illness," a build up of wind that disrupts the balance of the body. Light-colored bruises indicate that the "wind illness" is not very severe, but darker bruises indicate a more serious "wind illness."
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Though not widely accepted in Western medicine, some studies have shown that coining does have some analgesic effects. The Western explanation for these effects is as yet unknown.
Coining can be painful to the skin during the procedure, but afterwards the pain should subside.
Be careful not to scrape the skin too hard. The surface of the skin is not meant to broken.
Have an experienced coining practitioner show you the technique you should use to treat a back ache before attempting it yourself. This procedure has been perfected over many generations.
