Woman’s legs bruised after gua sha session

Customer discovers bruising on legs

After returning home, Wu was shocked to discover large areas of dark purple bruising on her legs.

The pain made it difficult for her to shower and bend her legs, and she had to wear long trousers to cover the bruises despite the hot weather.

The wellness centre’s 45-year-old manager, Ms Jin, told Shin Min that she had apologised to Wu several times after the incident and offered to provide free follow-up treatments to help her recover.

“We did not explain it to her beforehand, but we did explain the process during the pai sha treatment and told her that it was meant to help expel stagnant blood. As she did not indicate that she did not want the treatment, we continued.”

Jin said that after learning of Wu’s experience, she communicated with her directly and offered solutions to remedy the situation.

When interviewed on Aug 17, four days after the incident, the bruises on Wu’s legs had still not faded.

She said she hoped her experience would serve as a reminder to the public to fully understand how any treatment or procedure is carried out before deciding whether to proceed.

TCM physician: More bruising does not mean treatment is more effective

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) physician Chen Mei E told Shin Min Daily News that the treatment Wu received is an extension of traditional gua sha techniques, using moderate and repeated stimulation to relax muscles.

“Some people may develop red or purplish-red marks on the skin after the treatment,” she explained.

Chen stressed that a treatment is not necessarily more effective simply because it is performed with greater force, for a longer duration, or causes more pain.

“Proper treatment should take into account an individual’s constitution, age, skin and physical condition. The intensity and duration should be adjusted accordingly, while the skin’s reaction should also be monitored.”

She added that if the bruising is extensive, becomes increasingly pronounced, or is accompanied by pain and swelling, or if there is no significant improvement after one to two weeks, the person should stop receiving the treatment and seek an examination from an experienced physician.

She also warned that people with platelet or blood-clotting disorders, those taking anticoagulant medication, and those with skin conditions or varicose veins may not be suitable for such treatments.

Woman charged additional $80 for herbal treatment

Wu said that during the treatment, the therapist also suggested applying herbal medicine to her back. In response, Wu said she specifically asked about the price before agreeing to have it applied.

“She said to give it a try, so I assumed that, like the pai sha treatment, it was a free trial.”

It was only when she was paying that Wu realised she had been charged an additional $80 for the herbal treatment.

Together with the $99 moxibustion treatment and an $80 herbal foot soak, she paid a total of $259.

Jin told Shin Min that the price had been explained to Wu before the herbal treatment was applied, but acknowledged that misunderstandings can occur.

“She did not raise any objections when paying the bill and simply paid by card and left, which made me think she accepted the charge,” Jin added.

In light of Wu’s unpleasant experience, Jin said the centre was willing to refund her the $80 herbal treatment fee.

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