Tuina
Tuina (pronounced “tway-nah”) originated in China
in 1700 BC and is the oldest form of massage.
By 600 AD, tuina was included in the Imperial Medical College as a separate
department. Today tuina is taught as a separate-but-equal field of study
in major traditional Chinese medical colleges. In hospitals throughout
China, tuina is used in conjunction with acupuncture and herbal medicine.
The word “tuina” means “push” (tui) and “pull” (na).
Tuina techniques include an (rapid and rhythmic pressing), tao (strong
pinching), nie (kneading), nien (nipping or light
plucking), moa (rubbing) and pai (tapping). Gentle
shaking, joint mobilization, and stretching are also included in a
tuina treatment.
Acupressure is incorporated to treat internal disase and revitalize
depleted qi.
In China, Tuina practitioners also practice “bone setting” (chiropractic-style
adjustments). Western-trained Tuina practitioners do not perform bone
setting. However, they do use other techniques to gently and indirectly
realign musculo-skeletal and ligmentous relationships and thereby relieve
nerve pain.
Superficially, tuina is the form of Asian bodywork that most
resembles a Western (deep tissue) massage. However, the advantage of
tuina is that it treats specific problems, especially chronic pain
associated with the muscles, joints and skeletal system. In addition,
tuina restores and improves the flow of qi, blood and lymph. Treatments
benefit the whole body-mind-spirit, in addition to the specific area
of complaint.
The tuina practitioner performs standard Chinese Medicine diagnosis
and also applies extensive hands-on touch to locate areas of the body
that are out of balance. Unlike shiatsu, tuina focuses on specific
problems rather than on balancing the whole body. Treatment duration
is shorter, so tuina can be incorporated into a shiatsu or acupuncture
session to augment the treatment.
For example, a patient with chronic neck and shoulder tension
may receive a treatment that begins with a 15-minute tuina module, which
includes a variety of strokes, stretches and other techniques applied directly
to the neck and shoulder area to relieve pain and increase mobility. For
the remainder of the session, shiatsu or acupuncture may be used to further
unblock affected meridians and address underlying imbalances in the flow
of qi. |
