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What is Tui Na Chinese Body Therapy?
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 Tui Na Chinese body massage is a form of Chinese manipulative therapy often used in conjunction with acupuncture and in some cases, Chinese herbal therapy. Tui Na has been used extensively in China for over 2,000 years. Tui Na is closely associated to its Japanese massage cousin, An Mo.
Tui Na makes use of traction (or 'grip' action), massage and manipulation in conjunction with the stimulation of acupressure points with the fingers. It is used for the treatment of both superficial and acute or chronic conditions, and is considered a pillar of traditional Chinese Medicine. Indeed, this art of massage is even practiced in martial arts and sports institutions for the immediate and effective treatment of injury and pain during training.
As with other genres of specialized arts and sciences, each and every school of traditional Chinese medicine has different approaches to the core discipline of Tui Na. The general advantage of Tui Na, however, is that is has fewer side effects than any conventional modern drug- or chemical-based medical approaches, and is also utilized as complementary healing for musculoskeletal disorders as well as chronic stress-related disorders of the digestive, respiratory, and reproductive systems.
Tui Na is suitable and safe for the treatment of injuries and pains for infants and children, youths, adults and senior citizens.
The History of Tui Na Chinese Body Therapy
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The art and science of Tui Na Chinese body massage saw its initiation as early as the Shang Dynasty rule, dated around 1700 B.C. Ancient tomes show that massage was used to heal infants and adults' digestive problems - Zhang Zhongjing, the famed physician during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.) stated in his book Jin Dui Yao Lue, ".As soon as the heavy sensation of the limbs is felt,. Tui Na. (is) carried out in order to prevent... the disease from gaining a start."
 As the art of massage continued to develop and gain structure, the years of 700 C.E. saw Tui Na develop in the Imperial Medical College. This was also around this time that the different systems of Tui Na became popular, each with its own sets of rules and methods.
Today, it's not unusual to see Tui Na practitioners (albeit those with briefer education in the discipline!) working on street corners and parks in modern China. Tui Na has also been ennobled to become a particularly suitable vocation for people with physical disabilities - in China, many blind persons receive training in the art of Tui Na, since it is said that their heightened sense of touch is a great benefit.
"Push and Grasp" - How Tui Na Works
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The coinage Tui Na roughly translates to "push-grasp", or the more rustic (and unsavory) "poke-pinch". Physically, it is a series of pressing, tapping, and kneading with the palms, fingertips and on occasion, the knuckles. This manipulation stimulates the flow of energy, or Qi, as well as blood for the positive promotion of healing. Tui Na is by default very similar to the principles of acupuncture and acupressure.
Tui Na's massage-like techniques go from feather-light strokes to thorough heavy deep-tissue work, depending on the level of pain or injury suffered by the patient. Tui Na practitioners often use liniment, plasters, herbal compresses and packs to aid in the healing process.
For obvious reasons stated above, Tui Na is not suitable for compound fractures nor external wounds, open sores or patients with infectious conditions such as hepatitis.
A Typical Session with a Tui Na Practitioner
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- During a typical session of Tui Na with an adult patient, loose clothing is required for easy massage. The patient will sit or lie on a table or floor pad.
- The Tui Na physician will proceed to ask questions about the nature and location of the injury or pain, as well as some questions regarding the patient's overall health, allergies and other health conditions. The physician will then commence his massage, focusing on specific acupressure points, energy trigger points, muscles and joints surrounding the affected area.
- Some parts of the clothing may need to be removed to expose a particular spot that needs direct skin contact for Tui Na. The patient will be informed about this in advance. If the patient feels uncomfortable about this, he or she can be accompanied by a chaper one or two.
- Treatment sessions last from 10 minutes to over an hour. After the first session, the patient may experience up to 60% improvement on the injury or pain. Patients are often recommended to return for additional treatments for chronic conditions.
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