PERSONALIZED CARE IN NEW YORK

Gua-Sha therapy in New York

Gua Sha is a traditional tool-assisted body treatment. A smooth-edged tool is moved across lubricated skin, with the treatment area and pressure adapted to your comfort and concerns.

Available at: Midtown Manhattan · Forest Hills, Queens · Great Neck, Long Island

Plan your care

SERVICE & LOCAL APPOINTMENTS

Gua sha in Manhattan, Queens & Great Neck

Gua sha, sometimes written gua-sha or guasha, is a tool-assisted form of traditional body care. Explore the service description and ask whether your enquiry concerns body gua sha or facial skin care before booking.

Gua sha in Midtown Manhattan 10016

425 5th Avenue, Office Unit 4A, New York, NY 10016

Contact this office to confirm practitioner availability and appointment arrangements.

Office services & appointments →

Gua sha in Forest Hills, Queens 11375

116-21 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills, NY 11375

Contact this office to confirm practitioner availability and appointment arrangements.

Office services & appointments →

Gua sha in Great Neck, Long Island 11021

38 S Station Plaza, Great Neck, NY 11021

Contact this office to confirm practitioner availability and appointment arrangements.

Office services & appointments →

This service can be requested at all three offices; confirm the individual practitioner and schedule before your visit.

Treatment areas and the temporary marks

Gua Sha uses repeated, controlled strokes with a smooth-edged tool and a skin lubricant. Treatment is directed to a selected soft-tissue area, commonly around neck, shoulder or back tension. The direction and pressure are adapted to the area and your comfort.

Red or purplish marks may appear where the tool is applied and gradually fade. These marks reflect changes in small superficial blood vessels; they are not a measure of toxins leaving the body. Your skin, medicines and bleeding history are considered before treatment.

How Gua Sha is performed

The practitioner uses repeated, controlled strokes over a selected body area. Lubrication allows the tool to glide across the skin. Pressure and the direction of strokes are adjusted to the location and your response.

This body treatment can create a different skin response from a gentle facial skin-care routine. The purpose and technique are selected for the appointment rather than using the same approach on every area.

The traditional theory

In Chinese medicine, Gua Sha is associated with moving Qi and blood and addressing patterns described as stagnation. These are traditional concepts used to organize treatment, distinct from a medical diagnosis.

Clinical research has also explored short-term pain and function outcomes for some neck and back concerns. Technique and individual response remain part of planning a comfortable session.

A session built around your concerns

The appointment starts with your symptoms, health history and the area to be treated. Positioning and pressure are adjusted as treatment progresses. A pulling or scraping sensation should remain within a tolerable level.

Gua Sha can be coordinated with other appropriate care, including acupuncture or massage. Persistent or unexplained pain still needs the appropriate clinical assessment.

PEOPLE BEHIND YOUR CARE

Meet your care team.

Explore professional backgrounds, languages and actual appointment locations, then choose the office that works for you.

Acupuncture · Chinese herbal medicine

Tammy Huang

LAc, DAcCHM

English · Mandarin Chinese · Cantonese Chinese

Appointment enquiries

Meet Tammy

Acupuncture · Chinese herbal medicine

Ben Wong

LAc

English · Mandarin Chinese · Cantonese Chinese

Appointment enquiries

Great Neck Office

Meet Ben

Acupuncture · Herbal medicine · Massage therapy

Yan (Rachel) Zhou

LAc, DAcCHM, LMT

English · Mandarin Chinese

Appointment enquiries

Manhattan Office

Meet Yan

Acupuncture · Massage therapy

Zhifeng (Damon) Tong

LAc, LMT

English · Mandarin Chinese

Appointment enquiries

Forest Hills, Queens Office

Meet Zhifeng

Physical therapy · Acupuncture

Wei (Sean) Li

DPT, LAc

English · Mandarin Chinese · Korean

Appointment enquiries

Great Neck Office

Meet Wei

Where this service is available

Gua sha is available at our Midtown Manhattan, Forest Hills in Queens and Great Neck on Long Island offices. Contact your preferred office to confirm the practitioner and appointment.

Find the office that fits your area

Midtown Manhattan, New York City：Our Midtown Manhattan office is an option for patients around Bryant Park, Murray Hill, the Garment District, Herald Square and Koreatown. Appointments take place at the office address shown below.

Forest Hills, Queens, New York City：Our Forest Hills, Queens office is an option for patients in Rego Park, Kew Gardens, Briarwood and Kew Gardens Hills. Appointments take place at the office address shown below.

Great Neck, Long Island：Our Great Neck, Long Island office is an option for patients in Great Neck Plaza, Great Neck Estates and Manhasset, as well as Little Neck, Douglaston and Bayside in Queens. Garden City is a wider Nassau County travel option. Appointments take place at the office address shown below.

Insurance and appointments

Send your insurance information before booking so the office can check benefits for your service, practitioner and location.

Insurers, information to send & benefit verification

We accept many plans from BCBS, UnitedHealthcare (UHC), Aetna and Cigna, as well as plans administered by Meritain Health. Participation and benefits vary by your exact plan, service, practitioner and office.

Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)
UnitedHealthcare (UHC)
Aetna
Cigna
Meritain Health

Send your insurance information before booking.

If using insurance, please text photos of the front and back of your card, your full name and date of birth (DOB), and the policyholder’s name and DOB if different. We’ll check your benefits and get back to you before your visit.

Choose your office below. In your messaging app, add both card photos and replace the bracketed fields before sending. Photos are not attached automatically.

Text insurance · Manhattan Text insurance · Queens Text insurance · Great Neck

Coverage details, employer plans & NYSHIP

Ask us to confirm network participation, deductibles, copays or coinsurance, visit limits, referral or authorization requirements and any expected out-of-pocket cost. Benefit verification is not a guarantee of payment. Massage benefits can differ from acupuncture or physical therapy benefits.

Employer and NYSHIP plan enquiries

Some employer-sponsored plans offered through Chase, Point72, Bank of America, Soros Fund Management may include acupuncture or physical therapy benefits. NYSHIP’s Empire Plan may also include benefits. Ask us to check your current individual plan before booking; an employer or plan name alone does not establish coverage.

Logos identify insurers or administrators and do not guarantee in-network status or coverage. The BCBS image currently shows Anthem branding; your specific BCBS company and network must be checked.

Skin response and aftercare

Redness, bruising or tenderness can occur. These skin changes are not a requirement for a successful appointment. Bleeding disorders, blood-thinning medicines and fragile, irritated or infected skin need review before treatment. Follow the instructions for skin care after your session.

Research & potential benefits.

Small trials suggest Gua-Sha may help short-term pain and function for some people with chronic neck or low-back pain. Treatment area and pressure are individualized for comfort and the care plan.

Effectiveness of traditional Chinese "gua sha" therapy in patients with chronic neck pain: a randomized controlled trial
2011 · Randomized controlled trial
Adults with chronic neck pain had better pain and functional scores one week after Gua-Sha than after local heat treatment. This small trial supports a short-term finding; longer-term benefit was not established.
Randomized controlled pilot study: pain intensity and pressure pain thresholds in patients with neck and low back pain before and after traditional East Asian "gua sha" therapy
2012 · Randomized pilot trial
One treatment was associated with reduced pain and improved reported health status compared with waiting-list care. A small pilot study with short follow-up cannot establish durable effects or broad disease benefits.
Gua Sha therapy for chronic low back pain: A randomized controlled trial
2019 · Randomized controlled trial
The Gua-Sha group reported lower chronic low-back pain and better overall health status than the waiting-list group after treatment. The authors called for further rigorous studies; this is not evidence for facial treatment or every cause of back pain.

Common questions.

Is body Gua Sha the same as facial care?

The treatment area, pressure and goals differ. Facial skin care is a separate appointment.

Can Gua Sha cause redness?

Redness and temporary bruising can occur. Pressure and treatment area are adapted to your skin and comfort.

What should I expect after Gua Sha?

Temporary redness or purplish marks and some tenderness may occur. Skin response varies; the treated area is allowed to recover before repeat work.

Where can I ask about a gua sha appointment?

Read the service information on this page, then contact a listed office to confirm practitioner availability and appointment arrangements.

Midtown Manhattan →Forest Hills, Queens →Great Neck, Long Island →

How do I confirm gua sha fees, insurance and appointments?

Contact your preferred office and name the specific service and practitioner. Ask about the fee, session length and any insurance arrangements for that appointment and your individual plan before booking.

How should I prepare for a first appointment?

Tell the office what you want to discuss and confirm the service, practitioner, address and time. Ask which information to bring and whether that particular appointment has preparation instructions.

What related questions can I read about?

These guides can help you prepare for a consultation. The appropriate service depends on individual assessment.