Tui na Massage

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Tui na is a form of Chinese manipulative therapy often used in

conjunction with acupuncture, moxibustion, fire cupping, Chinese

herbalism, tai chi and qigong.

Tui na is a hands-on-body treatment using acupressure that is a

modality of Chinese medicine whose purpose is to bring the body into

balance. The principles being balanced are the eight principles of

Traditional Chinese Medicine (qv because TCM was codified by the PRC

out of many ancient traditions.) The practitioner may brush, knead,

roll/press and rub the areas between each of the joints (known as

the eight gates) to open the body's defensive (wei) chi and get the

energy moving in both the meridians and the muscles. The

practitioner can then use range of motion,traction, massage, with

the stimulation of acupressure points and to treat both acute and

chronic musculoskeletal conditions, as well as many non-

musculoskeletal conditions. 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.

As with many other traditional Chinese medical practices, there are

several different schools with greater or lesser differences in

their approach to the discipline. It is related also to Chinese

massage or anma).

In ancient China, medical therapy was often classified

into " external " and " internal " treatments. Tui na was one of the

external methods, especially suitable for use on the elderly

population and on infants. Today it is subdivided into specialized

treatment for infants, adults, orthopedics, traumatology,

cosmetology, rehabilitation, sports medicine, etc. Tui na has been

used extensively in China for over 2,000 years.

Tui na has fewer side effects than modern drug-based and chemical-

based treatments. It has been used to treat or complement the

treatment of many conditions; musculo-skeletal disorders and chronic

stress-related disorders of the digestive, respiratory, and

reproductive systems.

History

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. In his book Jin Gui Yao Lue, Zhang Zhongjing, a famous

physician in the Han Dynasty (206 BC), wrote, " As soon as the heavy

sensation of the limbs is felt, " Daoyin " , " Tui na " , " Zhenjiu "

and " Gaomo " , all of which are 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.

Today, the term Tui na has replaced anmo within China and in the

West. The term anmo is still used in some surrounding countries such

as Japan.

It is not unusual to see practitioners working on street corners and

parks in modern China. Tui na is an occupation that is particularly

suitable to those with physical disabilities and in China, many

blind persons receive training in the art of tui na, where their

heightened sense of touch is a great benefit.

Technique

The words Tui Na translate into " push-grasp " or " poke-pinch " in

Chinese. Physically, it is a series of pressing, tapping, and

kneading with palms, fingertips, knuckles or implements that help

the body to remove blockages along the meridians of the body and

stimulates the flow of qi and blood to promote healing, similar to

principles of acupuncture, moxibustion, and acupressure. Tui na's

massage-like techniques range from light stroking to deep-tissue

work which would be considered too vigorous or too painful for a

recreational or relaxing massage. Clinical practitioners often use

liniment, plasters, herbal compresses and packs to aid in the

healing process, which should be used with caution on sensitive

skin. Tui na is not used for conditions involving compound

fractures, external wounds, open sores or lesions, phlebitis, or

with infectious conditions such as hepatitis. Tui na should not be

performed on the abdominal portion of a woman in menstrual or

pregnant periods, and it is not used for treatment of malignant

tumors or tuberculosis.

In a typical adult tui na session, the patient wears loose clothing

and lies on a massage table or floor pad. After answering some brief

questions about the nature and location of the health problem as

well as basic questions about general health, allergies and other

existing conditions, the practitioner will concentrate on specific

acupressure points, energy trigger points, muscles and joints

surrounding the affected area. Occasionally, clothing is removed or

repositioned to expose a particular spot that requires direct skin

contact. The patient should always be informed before this act, and

no inappropriate or unexpected contact should ever be made in a

professional session. Treatment sessions last from 10 minutes to

over an hour. Patients often return for additional treatments for

chronic conditions.

Also see http://www.calmspirit.com/tuina.htm