Tui-Na
(Chinese medical massage)
TuiNa ([tʰwéi.nǎ]; Chinese medical massage) which literally means "pinch and pull," refers to a wide range of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapeutic massage and body work. TuiNa is also known as "acupressure", where practitioners use finger pressure instead of needles to stimulate the acupuncture points. It is a form of Chinese manipulative therapy often used with acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, Chinese herbs, and the other TCM treatment method.
TuiNa is not generally used for pleasure and relaxation, but rather as a treatment to address specific patterns of disharmony. As such, practitioners use it for many of the same reasons and according to the same principles as acupuncture and the other TCM treatments. Like acupuncture, TCM practitioners uses TuiNa to harmonize Yin and Yang in the body, to bring balance back to body by manipulating the Qi in the acupuncture meridians. TuiNa is a hands-on body treatment. The practitioner may brush, knead, roll, press, and rub the areas between each of the joints, body part or any effected area. The TuiNa manipulation techniques may be gentle or quite firm.
In TCM, medical therapy was often classified as either "external" or "internal" treatment. TuiNa was one of the external methods. It is one of the most popular TCM treatment modalities and is frequently used in the treatment of superficial trauma and injury and a wide variety of musculoskeletal problems, as well as many non-musculoskeletal problems. It is also often used when acupuncture is inappropriate, such as with elder and children. Or, when acupuncture needles can’t be accepted by some people (someone with needle phobia), TuiNa will be used. TCM practitioners will frequently encourage and instruct patients to do self-massage and certain exercises at home. This solidifies and expands the benefits created during treatment sessions.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
