Gua sha (刮痧, guā shā)

Literally translated, it means to scrape away fever. It involves applying pressure to lubricated skin with a round edged utensil and repeating strokes along the acupuncture meridians. This process of scraping the skin results in small red patches, not bruises (they fade in 2 to 3 days), unlike the longer lasting effects of cupping. Gua sha aids circulation and metabolism and relieves aches and pains. If you can deal with a little discomfort, it may save you in the long run.

Apitherapy (蜂针疗法 fēng zhēn liáofǎ, getting stung with bees, professionally)

No one likes them, they are flinch inducing, yet their very weapon is seen as a great remedy. Apitherapy, the use of bee products for medicinal benefits, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating systematic immune diseases, allergies, inflammation and viral diseases for a long time. It has become a source of interest in the West where it’s being investigated as a cure for multiple sclerosis. At its most basic level of treatment in China, application may be a little more than walking into a bee keep and getting stung repeatedly, but the results speak for themselves.