You’re probably familiar with common Western massage techniques like Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, prenatal massage, and sports massage. You may have also heard about Tui Na massage, a Chinese massage modality.
Tui Na, or tuina, is a therapeutic form of massage and has been used in China for more than 5,000 years. Defined as “the ancient healing art of fingers and strength,” tui na (pronounced “twee nah”) has been gaining international attention for its safe and effective treatment for a wide variety of conditions. Tui na massage therapy is used for giving special treatments to people of all ages, from infancy to old age.
Practitioners may use their finger, hand, elbow, knee or foot to apply pressure to a specific body location. This complementary and alternative Chinese medicine modality makes use of rhythmic compression techniques along different energy channels of the body to establish harmonious flow of qi throughout the body and bringing it back to balance. By applying pressure to meridians, acupoints, and groups of muscles and nerves, tui na removes blockages and works deeply with the positive energy of the body.
Technique
Tui na makes use of various hand techniques in combination with acupuncture and other manipulation techniques. Many of the techniques used in this massage resemble that of a western massage like gliding, kneading, rubbing, vibration, tapping, friction, pulling, rolling, pressing and shaking. In tui na massage, the muscles and tendons are massaged with the help of hands, and an acupressure technique is applied to directly affect the flow of qi at different acupressure points of the body, thus facilitating the healing process. It removes the blockages and keeps the energy moving through the meridians as well as the muscles.
Benefits of Tui Na
A typical session of tui na massage may vary from thirty minutes to an hour. The session timings may vary depending on the patient’s needs and condition. Clients can unrobe to their comfort level or remain clothed, wearing loose clothing. tui na methods can include soft tissue massage, manipulation, acupressure in conjunction with herbal compresses, ointments, liniments, and heat. The best part of the therapy is that it relaxes as well as energizes the person. The main benefit of tui na massage is that it focuses on the specific problem, whether it is an acute or a chronic pain associated with the joints, muscles or a skeletal system. This technique is very beneficial in reducing the pain of neck, shoulders, hips, back, arms, highs, legs and ankle disorders. It is a very effective therapy for arthritis, pain, sciatica and muscle spasms. Other benefits of this massage therapy include alleviation of stress related disorders like insomnia, constipation, headaches and other disorders related to digestive, respiratory and reproductive systems.
The greatest advantage of tui na is that it focuses on maintaining overall balance with both physical and mental health. Any one who wants to avoid the side effects of drugs or a chemical based treatment can adopt this effective massage technique to alleviate their pain. Tui na massage therapy is now becoming a more common therapy method due to its focus on specific problems rather than providing a general treatment.
Alana Leask