This entry was posted 11 years, 8 months ago.
October 3, 2011
In late autumn, as the days are getting shorter and shorter, and rainy weather starts dominating, many of us begin feeling upset, pessimistic, depressed, weak, or too much stressed out. It is a very common phenomenon known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or seasonal depression which usually takes place in winter, and rarely – in summer. Seasonal changes are linked not only to environmental changes, but also to slowed down metabolism, hormonal shifts and muscle pains, loss of appetite, chronic insomnia and other quite disturbing symptoms. I guess, you know what I am talking about…
As a rule, we are using various stress or depression management techniques to combat this problem: yoga, sports, herbal remedies and natural anti-depressants (like green tea), and so on. But some of such solutions can be really interesting and very unusual. For instance, what do you say about scraping your body from the top of your head down to your toes? 🙂 
Well well, according to the gurus of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a regular scraping with any sort of smooth-edge tool (like a spoon), can not only save you from seasonal depression, but help you live till the age of 88, at least. At that, for such scraping it is recommended to use any sort of soft essential oil like almond oil, or vegetable oil like olive oil, to play a role of lubricant and serve for a sort of skin protection.
Dr. Dong Yanfen, a specialist of Beijing’s Xiyuan Hospital, is one of the avid promoters of this interesting stress relieving technique which can be used to lower the symptoms of any seasonal affective disorder. “Scraping helps release stagnation and draw out toxins,” he says. “It can remove cold, damp and heat in the body and is commonly used to treat fever, heatstroke and joint pain.” Dr. Dong says that this procedure should be performed 1-2 times a week, and scraping assists in improving blood circulation, boosting metabolism, improving the function of the immune system and making us feel a little more alive.
It is necessary to scape the body until the skin goes a little red. At that, the darker your body becomes after just a little bit of scraping, the worse vessel health you have. This procedure can be especially effective for those who work in the office or sit in front of their computers all day long, as sedentary life-style is closely linked to poor blood circulation and slowed down detoxification processes. “Try to scrape your winter sadness away!!” – this is a new trend promoted by ancient Chinese medicine experts. Remember that those with skin problems should refrain from using this anti-depression method. So should pregnant women, too.
Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.
October 4th, 2011 at 12:07 pm
cool, it’s just for alternative treatment fans like us……
October 7th, 2011 at 9:46 am
Wow, really interesting! After reading this I will consider trying body scraping as an alternative treatment for depression.
Thanks Carla 🙂