Shiatsu, reflexology, acupressure,… these are some of the familiar terms that we will encounter in the world of therapeutic massage. These are muscle and soft tissue manipulation techniques usually done by licensed chiropractors and masseurs countrywide. Ask any chiropractor on how he or she would help you overcome stress or muscle related pains, and these are the terms that you would probably encounter.
However, there’s another type of massage that has been creating buzz for some time now in the country. This type of therapeutic massage is a combination of the three, but it has taken another route. For thousands of years it has been practiced by Chinese and with the help of some experts, it has arrived in American soil. Some have dared to apply it to their body and have found generous results in the process.
They call this type of therapeutic massage as “Tuina” massage. Even though it has been introduced in the country since 1980, it was only in this period when hundreds of alternative medicines are available that it has taken shape. Usually people will not hold on to this alternative treatment, but the rising cost of hospitalization has made them realize its ability to heal.
Tuina massage is essentially based on the realigning the bodies Qi or Chi. Qi is a flow of the energy in the person, and even though they are spiritually linked, it’s still connected to our physical side in that any disruption of the Chi will eventually affect our body. The therapist will somehow realign your body to the correct position and with a few sessions, you’ll be able to get the healing that you wanted. The technique uses the hand (reflexology) for soft tissues and acupressure for Qi. The main difference with this technique compared to other massage techniques is that it’s even extended to bone setting – a very delicate technique. The advanced Tuina therapists even use herbs to make sure the effects will be better and guaranteed. Another difference of the therapy is that instead of generalizing the body with the massage, it goes directly to the specific points where the body is really affected.
When you attend a session of Tuina massage, you’ll be asked to lie down with loose comfortable cloths. The therapist will ask you questions where you really feel the pain, and from there, the therapist will work on the specific part of the body. As we have said, you’ll be required to come back for a few more sessions.
A word of caution if you’re thinking of availing this type of massage: Tuina massage involves bone setting and very painful manipulation of the body and tissues. This is a very advanced form of massage so you need to make sure that the person you’re dealing with is licensed and experienced. The session will not take most of the time of your day, but the treatment is more specialized and will be very blunt in twisting parts of your body. With an experienced, licensed and very knowledgeable therapist, you’ll be able to release the bad energy in your body and achieve the feeling that you want only after a few sessions.
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