Blackheath Complementary Health Centre
Therapies: Tui Na
Tui na Chinese massage therapy
What is Tui na?
Tui Na is one of four main branches of traditional Chinese medicine; its sister therapies are, acupuncture, herbal medicine and Qi Gong.
Tui Na is a physical therapy and a form of energetic medicine. It uses manual manipulations to stimulate the energy channels of the web-like meridian system, which run throughout the body, the points along these channels and the soft tissues, sinews and organs.
How does Tui na differ from other forms of massage?
Tui Na differs from other forms of massage in that it is used to treat specific illnesses of an internal nature as well as musculoskeletal ailments. The Tui Na practitioner must have a thorough understanding of the rationale and philosophy of Oriental Medicine in order to make a diagnosis according to its principles and formulate a plan of treatment suitable for the patient.
What does treatment consist of and feel like?
Treatment is applied either over loose clothing or directly onto the skin if an external herbal media is to be applied. Tui na feels deep, warming, rhythmic and penetrating. The treatment itself involves the use of a wide range of specific manual techniques all of which have particular therapeutic effects. Generally treatment moves through three levels:
1. The adaptive level consisting of relatively gentle superficial techniques to begin to open the meridians and allow the patient to relax.
2. The analgesic level consists of deeper rhythmic and more penetrating techniques and point stimulation. This is the heart of the treatment and patients often fall asleep at this stage
3. The dissipative level this often involves brisk percussive sweeping and scrubbing techniques to dissipate any stagnant energy that has been stirred up at the analgesic stage. Also passive movements of joints and stretches can be incorporated at this stage.
Treatment of babies and children
Infantile Tui na is a specialist subject and is well documented in the classics of Chinese medicine. It differs greatly from adult tui na as the meridian system in infants is not developed. Much of the treatment is applied to the infant’s hands, forearms and abdomen. It is simple to apply, so once the treatment has been formulated it can be taught to parents who can apply the treatment once a day in between seeing the practitioner. Infantile Tui na is suitable for babies and young children up to the age of 5 or 6.
What is tui na treatment most useful for?
Adults
Muscular/skeletal conditions- arthritis, rheumatism, back pain, sciatica, soft tissue injuries, muscular and joint pain, stiffness and restricted mobility.
Gynaecological/Menstrual problems
Fertility issues
Digestive problems- constipation, IBS, bloating, abdominal, epigastric and flank pain, nausea.
Asthma, cough, sinusitis, common cold, flu
Headaches/migraine
Insomnia
Dizziness
Numbness, hemiplegia
Post stroke symptoms of weakness, numbness, tingling and paralysis of the limbs.
Anxiety/depression
Babies and young children
Poor digestion- colic, poor appetite, constipation, diarrhoea
Frequent coughs and colds
Asthma
Eczema
Enuresis- bed-wetting
Poor sleep
Infantile convulsions
Tui na history
Tui Na is relatively new to the West but its roots in China are ancient. Archaeological studies have dated it back to around 2700 BC, making it the forefather of all forms of massage and body work that exist today, from shiatsu to osteopathy.
The most famous ancient text on Chinese medicine ‘Huang Di Nei Jing’ or ‘Classic of Internal Medicine of the Yellow Emperor’ completed between the first century BC and the first century AD includes records of the use of massage techniques and how they should be used in the treatment of certain diseases.
During the Sui (AD 581-618) and Tang (AD 618-906) dynasties a department of massage therapy was founded within the Office of Imperial Physicians and the practice and teaching of Chinese massage therapy continued to blossom. Dr Sun Si Miao introduced a further ten massage techniques and systemized the treatment of childhood diseases using massage therapy.
In the Song dynasty (AD 960-1279) and the Yuan dynasty (AD 1280-1368), an intensive analysis of Chinese massage techniques was undertaken and the therapy was further refined. It becomes the major form of treatment in the bone-setting and paediatric departments at the Institute of Imperial Physicians.
The Ming dynasty (AD 1368-1644) saw the next great flourish of massage therapy. It was during this time that it took the name Tui Na. Many texts were written during this period, particularly on paediatric Tui Na, which had become hugely popular.
In the early part of the twentieth century, traditional Chinese medicine began to suffer greatly. This was due to competition form the mainly symptomatic treatments of Western medicine now available. Between 1912-48, during the rule of Guo Min Dang, doctors trained in Western medicine returned to China from Japan and recommended that traditional Chinese medicine be banned. Fortunately, this was rejected at the National Medical Assembly in Shanghai on 17 March 1929, thanks to massive lobbying. This day is remembered each year and celebrated as Chinese Doctors’ Day.
Mao Ze Dong was also against traditional Chinese medicine until the Long March of 1934-35. There were no drugs, anaesthetics or surgery available, and doctors of traditional Chinese medicine came to the rescue, achieving amazing results with vast numbers of wounded and sick soldiers.
From this time on, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) had its feet planted firmly on the ground of modern medicine and, under the People’s Republic of China established in 1948, all the departments of TCM were nurtured and encouraged to grow. In 1956, the first official training course in Tui Na was opened in Shanghai; other hospitals followed suit, opening their own Tui Na departments. By 1974 there were Tui na departments all over China.