Therapeutic Massage (Tuina or Tui Na) has been used traditionally in China for thousands of years. It was referred to some 2500 years ago in ‘The Yellow Emperor’s Classics of Internal Medicine’. As with many traditional treatments handed down through the generations it has been gradually modified and improved and is now gaining increased popularity in the Western World.
Chinese practitioners consider Tuina to be a very important Chinese treatment, especially when combined with acupuncture.
Tuina is currently used in Chinese Hospitals as part of a treatment regime for chronic pain associated with bones, muscles and other soft tissues such as neck or lower back pain, slipped disc and frozen shoulder, but also for other conditions such as digestive problems, insomnia, migraines and headaches.
Tuina involves some or all of the following:
- hand and arm massage of soft tissues like muscles and tendons,
- manipulation to realign the musculo-skeletal system
- pressure on various acupressure points.
The treatment can be applied through a lightly clothed body or through a fine cloth. The patient may either sit on a chair or lie on a firm treatment table.
Therapeutic massage (Tuina) is often harder than the type of massage you might experience at a beauticians. Some patients experience low levels of discomfort during Tuina and the body may feel slightly tender for a few days after treatment. Some patients feel tired after their treatment whilst others feel packed with energy.