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Tui Na Chinese Massage
Tui Na is a form of Chinese manipulative therapy often used in conjunction with acupuncture and fire cupping*.
Tui na is a hands-on body treatment that uses Chinese martial art principles to bring the body to balance.
The treatment is carried out by the manipulation and massage of acupressure points, energy trigger points, muscles and joints. Most of the treatment is carried out by hand and may include techniques such as pressing, tapping, and kneading with palms, fingertips, knuckles or implements designed for this purpose.
Tui na is an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and is taught in TCM schools as part of formal training in Oriental medicine. Many East Asian martial arts schools also teach tui na to their advanced students for the treatment and management of injury and pain due to training.
Benefits of Tui Na Massage
Tui Na massage therapy concentrates on the freeing the blocked energy meridians in the affected areas of the body to bring about prompt relief from pain and to allow the body to heal itself. It is used for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders and chronic stress-related disorders of the digestive, respiratory and reproductive systems. It is very useful in treating chronic problems such as shoulder pain, joint pain, back pain, and disorders in the lower leg and ankle.
Tui Na is an intensive, deep tissue, form of massage therapy and focuses on curing specific ailments and is not suitable as form of general body massage therapy for relaxation. It should not be used in conditions involving fractures, phlebitis, infections, open wounds, and lesions. It should also be avoided during pregnancy and menstruation.
*Cupping is the technique of creating a vacuum in a glass or plastic cup and putting it on the surface of the skin. Heat or suction is used. The vacuum raises the skin and frees the circulation underneath. It is a very effective technique for sore muscles, and lumbar strain. Cupping is not painful, however, it does leave marks on the skin like a pink to purplish bruise. The marks are painless and will disappear after a few days.
History behind Tui Na.
Massage techniques are ubiquitous in almost all early human cultures. Similar techniques date at least as early as the Shang Dynasty, around 1700 BC. Ancient inscriptions on oracle bones show that massage was used to treat infants and adult digestive conditions.
"As soon as the heavy sensation of the limbs is felt, all the therapeutic methods are carried out in order to prevent... the disease from gaining a start." Around 700 CE, Tui na had developed into a separate study in the Imperial Medical College.
The first reference to this type of external treatment was called "anwu", then the more common name became "anmo". It was then popularized and spread to many foreign countries such as Korea and Japan.
As the art of massage continued to develop and gain structure, it merged (around 1600 CE) with another technique called tui na, which was the specialty of bone-setting using deep manipulation. It was also around this time that the different systems of tui na became popular, each with its own sets of rules and methods.
