The first post addressing studies showing possible physiological benefits/pathways of coin rubbing was getting too long so I did not include the following. Nevertheless, the content is important enough that I felt I needed to create an addendum.
A website associated with Vanderbilt University, written by a student in 2006, gives a brief overview of Cao Gio (coin rubbing). At that time the student mentioned that no papers were written on the efficacy of the practice but that there were a variety of sources addressing the balms and oils that are used. It is entirely possible that any perceived benefits of the practice do not come from the rubbing at all but rather the tiger balm or menthol used. It is also possible that the oil and the rubbing activate different pathways. I am not going to summarize these articles like I did the others because it has already been done, but if you are interested here is the link. Scroll down to Other Perspectives.
Among possible benefits perceived are reducing circulatory disorders and relieving tension headaches. The website mentions my favorite blanket explanation, the placebo effect and also points out that efficacy is hard to evaluate because coin rubbing is often used in tandem with bio-medical remedies.
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