What is Tui-Na Chinese Medical Acupressure Massage?

Tui Na (pronounced Twee-Nah) is an ancient Chinese therapy. Tui Na is also known as needle-less acupuncture. It is one of the four main branches of traditional Chinese medicine along with Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine and Qi Gong. Tui Na is relatively new to the West but its roots in China are ancient. Archaeological studies have dated it back to around 2700BC, making it the forefather of all forms of massage and body work that exist today, from shiatsu to osteopathy.

Tui Na is an integral part of the healthcare system in hospitals throughout China today and is a medical technique recognized by the World Health Organization.  Tui Na differs from other forms of massage in that it is used to treat specific illnesses of an internal nature aswell as musculoskeletal ailments.

Tui Na uses rhythmic compression along energy channels of the body, as well as a variety of techniques that manipulate and lubricate the joints. Tui Na directly affects the flow of energy by holding and pressing the body at acupressure points.

As with other styles of Asian bodywork, Tui Na is designed to prevent problems, not just correct them. By keeping the body’s energy in balance, health is maintained. This is true not just for physical health, but also for mental and emotional well-being.

 

What to expect in a treatment:

• In a typical session, a detailed consultation is taken first
• The practitioner may ask to see your tongue and feel your pulse to assist their diagnosis
• The client then, wearing loose clothing and no shoes, lies on the massage table
• Sometimes the practitioner will use cupping – a therapy that uses vacuum suction that stimulates circulation in an area
• A wide range of specific manual techniques are used depending on the nature of the issues at hand
• The practitioner may use their palms, fingers, knuckles, thumbs and elbows to rub, knead, roll, press and pat areas of concern around the body; including between each of the joints to open the body’s defensive system and get the energy moving in both the meridians and the muscles
• The practitioner can then use range of motion, traction, massage along with the stimulation of acupressure points to treat both acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions, as well as many other conditions such as digestive complaints, migraines and arthtritic pain
• When these points are stimulated they release tension and increase the body’s circulation of blood, qi and nutrients to bring about the body’s own healing process

 

Tui Na is particularly effective in treating the following conditions: