Does your body hurt? If so, you might want to check out Tui Na massage. “Tui Na” literally translates to “push pull”, and it’s name certainly does the practice justice. Physically, it is a series of pressing, tapping, and kneading with palms, fingertips, and knuckles. Based on the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, this type of massage incorporates techniques that are found in both the East and West—massage, chiropractic, osteopathic, and physical therapy.
Tui Na therapists use several different types of hand and stretching techniques to massage the soft tissue along the body, with the ultimate goal of correcting your anatomy and posture, and to increase the circulation of blood. Through the application of massage and manipulation techniques, Tui Na enables the body to heal itself. Tui Na practitioners also use herbs, compresses, and salves to enhance the effects of the massage.
In a typical Tui Na session, the patient lies on a table or floor mat. The therapist determines the client’s specific aches and pains and begins the treatment. The Tui Na practitioner applies most of the massage session on specific pain sites, acupressure points, energy meridians, and other muscles and joints. Sessions can last anywhere from thirty minutes to a half an hour, with many clients report feeling energized and revitalized by the end of the treatment.
Tui Na is quickly gaining popularity as an important extension of western and Swedish massage practices. Why do so many people swear by this type of treatment? Tui Na focuses on specific problems in the body, as opposed to a more generalized type of massage session that targets the whole body. The treatments tend to be shorter than western-style massages, making it an excellent option for home, office, clinic, and hospital settings.
Who should receive Tui Na treatments? Anybody who has:
- Back, joint, or nerve pain
- Sore muscles
- Injuries from sports
- Chronic disorders of the digestive, respiratory, and reproductive systems
To find a Tui Na treatment center near you, check out the Acupuncture Colleges of the American Oriental Bodywork Therapy Association.
