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Song predicted the pandemic would end when summertime hit. She was wrong. “I’m not ashamed of saying that. One of the things I always said was when the heat comes on the virus will die off same as the fl u; but that just doesn’t seem to be happening.”

Even with the quarantine, she encourages people to go out in the open air to walk or bike.

“We can’t just say, ‘I’ll wait until everything just ends and then I’ll go back to normal life.’ We don’t know when that is going to come so what I have been telling patients is that they have to be creative and come up with new ways of doing things.”

Song is all for social distancing. She told one of her patients to have online lunch dates instead of in person.

“Kind of make it a point to talking to people. We are social animals. We do have to talk to people even if it’s just talking and we’re not seeing people in person. Even just make a point of talking to people it will help a lot because otherwise we are going to see a surge of or aggravation of a lot of mental illnesses coming out of this pandemic.”

Song of Natural Medicine

Song’s practice, Song of Natural Medicine, is still seeing patients in person, but has off ered telemedicine to help minimize the traffi c in her offi ce. She sees acupuncture patients who are willing to come in person. One person is allowed into the facility at a time with maybe a single family member as well.

“We wipe down everything after every patient. For people who are sick and have symptoms, we asked them to stay home and ask them to do the telemedicine. We treat that way to keep it safe for the people who do come in.”

Song of Natural Medicine

2979 E. Elliot Road, Suite 3, Chandler, 480-388-0099, songofnaturalmedicine.com

Facial Massage

The Ancient Art of Gua Sha: Try It at Home

BY SARAH TRAHAN, NMD

Gua Sha (gwa-sah) is an ancient Asian medical practice that involves gliding a smooth surfaced tool along the connective tissue (i.e. muscles and tendons) to help relieve tension, regenerate tissue and enhance the immune system.

The word is derived from Mandarin Chinese—“gua” means to scrape or rub; “sha” is petechiae, or broken blood vessels, and bruising as well as the feeling of satisfaction.

The main physiological mechanism behind Gua Sha’s eff ects is its ability to move fl uid through facial tissue. The improvements in tissue health are most noticeable in a brighter and clearer complexion, increased skin contour, wrinkle reduction and decreased puffi ness.

Chronically dry and aging skin can benefi t from weekly at home Gua Sha treatments in addition to young and tired skin. Gua Sha can help improve current acne regimens by giving the immune system a boost and relieving congestion often seen with chronic acne. Care must be taken to use clean tools and avoid further aggravating facial acne. Consult with a healthcare provider to fi nd out the best way to use the therapy safely and effectively.

Gua Sha has demonstrated benefi cial and health promoting eff ects on the nervous system. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a measure of parasympathetic tone and has been studied before and after Gua Sha therapy. Researchers found that greater HRV is found post therapy as oppose to controls. The more HRV, the more the parasympathetic activity, and this is when healing happens. Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system causes blood vessels to relax and expand, which increases nutrient delivery to tissue, decreases infl ammation and allows cells to restore their energy supplies.

The eff ects of Gua Sha on the immune system are demonstrated by the increase in white blood cells to the treatment area in addition to an increase in an enzyme known to provide cellular support to oxidative damage, which is common as we age and experience UV damage. Infl ammatory markers including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), a protein that causes infl ammation, have been shown to decrease following treatment and this eff ect can last for up to a week.

Naturopathic medicine aims at aiding in the healing power of nature and

Gua Sha is just one of the many ways to stimulate your natural ability to sustain health for the long haul. It has shown to signifi cantly increase resident stem cells to help promote new extracellular matrix proteins (i.e., collagen). In a study that investigates mesenchymal stem cells post instrument assisted soft tissue therapy (i.e., Gua Sha), there was a three-fold increase in circulating stem cells. This is greater support that Gua Sha therapy can help keep your face looking and feeling younger naturally.

How can you perform this therapy at home to get these benefi ts? There are two things to think about regarding Gua Sha technique. One, the lymphatic system, and two, the aesthetics of the skin. Proper lymphatic drainage assists the body in getting rid of cellular debris, aka garbage. The lymphatic system of the face is largely the same for everyone. Lymph drains from under the eyes to the check bone and then down to the neck as well as from the corner of the mouth to the angle of the jawbone and again down the neck. There should be about equal amounts of strokes aiding the lymphatic system but also promoting a lifted skin contour.

Wash your face so you start with a clean slate. You can apply a warm, damp towel to face for a few minutes to help open your pores and blood vessels Apply face oil onto your face and neck. Vitamin E or jojoba oil are great options. Using a Gua Sha tool (jade stone or rose quartz are aff ordable and easily found online), start just beside your nose with the thicker part of the rounded tool against your skin, use light pressure and create long gentle strokes towards your ear. Repeat this stroke from your nose to ear twice more until you see your skin turn pink or red. Then use the tool from the corner of your lips, along your jaw line, and then to the outer edge of your brow. Repeat this step a few more times. Finally, start between your brows and stroke up to your hairline down the side of your face and then along your neck to your collar bone. Repeat a few more times until the entire forehead is covered.

You can fi nish with a jade roller using similar strokes as you did the Gua Sha tool.

If your face tends to be red or infl amed, you can place the tools in the fridge or freezer before use to reduce infl ammation even more.

Dr. Sarah Trahan is a resident at the Neil Riordan Center for Regenerative Medicine at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. Her primary focus is to improve her patients’ quality of life by helping them to fi nd relief from both acute and chronic pain. For more information, visit patients.scnm.edu.