Chinese Medical Massage | How does Tui Na work, and what is it about?
Chinese Medical Massage, known as Tui Na can be thought of as Acupuncture without needles.
This is the easiest way to describe the manual therapy branch of Chinese Medicine. It is probably the oldest physical treatment on the planet; the grandparent of massage, osteopathy, chiropractic, physiotherapy and any practiced bodywork, yet it is still relatively unfamiliar to the majority of people.
‘Tuna with an “i”? Toooweeenaaa… whaaa’?
Chinese Medicine has five branches: Acupuncture, Herbs, Tai Ji Chuan (Tai Chi), Qi Gong, and Tui Na. They all have a common foundation of theory based on Taoism. Think of it as a form on ‘Naturalism’, a view of the world based on the observations of Nature and our place within it.
Most people are familiar with the idea of Acupuncture and the system it is based on. Although we cannot be certain, we think it’s safe to assume that the use of hands came first, the application of needles came later. As Chinese Medical Massage is based on the same system, it can address the signs and symptoms of typical muscle aches and pains, back and neck problems but can also be used for signs and symptoms of other medical conditions: Gynaecological, gastro-intestinal, insomnia, respiratory, stress conditions like anxiety, migraines and many others.
How does it manage to address so many areas?
Let’s leave out the concepts of Chinese Medicine for a moment.
Tui Na is performed through clothes and uses many varying techniques to influence a body to heal itself. Tui Na literally means “Push” and “Hold/Grasp”; the terms are descriptive of the techniques being used. These are only 2 of the 26+ techniques that can be applied during a treatment. Each technique will elicit a different response from the body being worked on, so it stimulates the nervous and vascular (blood) systems in a range of ways western massage styles do not. Most massage styles use pressure and flowing strokes with oil on skin to achieve their results.
If we introduce the eastern concepts, Tui Na works with the body tissues as well as the energetic system that is the basis for Chinese Medicine. In this way, Tui Na addresses the structure (tissues, ligaments, RSI – Repetitive Strain Injury, fascia), assists in restoring proper function (range of movement of joints) and the energetics of the body (regulation of Yin and Yang using acupoints, channels and ‘organs’ of Chinese Medicine).
All of this is to assist the body in correcting or healing itself.
Over thousands of years of practice and observation, highly effective treatments were worked out for specific conditions. If needed, treatments can be adjusted for each client as they present.
What has been refined over millennia of application is a thorough system of bodywork that can approach a range of conditions ailments.
- It is not just a “nuts and bolt” approach.
- It is not just using a “hippie energy system”.
- It is a highly effective system of bodywork using the energetic system of Chinese Medicine that has a broad application for many conditions that are suffered throughout society.
Perhaps a possible solution to many of the conditions we suffer has been hiding in plain sight from a different culture. It’s not so much foreign, it’s just unfamiliar.
