Which aspect of Gua Sha is to draw out pathogenic factors?

The aspect of Gua Sha that's focused on drawing out pathogenic factors is the scraping technique. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Gua Sha is performed by scraping the skin with a tool, which promotes blood flow and helps lift out stagnation, toxins, and other pathogenic factors from the body. This scraping action physically disrupts the surface layer of the skin, creating micro-traumas that stimulate the immune response and enhance circulation, thereby effectively drawing out external pathogens that may contribute to pain or illness.

The focus on the scraping technique as a method to draw out pathogenic factors aligns with the fundamental principles of TCM, which suggest that physical manipulation can encourage movement and clearance of obstructions in the body's flow of energy (Qi). By concentrating on this vigorous action, practitioners harness the body's natural healing processes, facilitating detoxification and restoring balance.

Other options, such as pressure application and point stimulation, are indeed important elements of TCM practices but do not specifically target the expulsion of pathogenic factors in the same decisive manner as scraping does. Similarly, heat application in Gua Sha is primarily used to warm the area and promote relaxation rather than directly draw out pathogens.