Tui Na is especially effective for chronic pain, especially pain related to injuries and musculo-skeletal conditions. All these following ailments all respond very well to tui na: Tennis elbow, sciatica, immobility, back pain, shoulder pain and neck.
However, it may not be possible for this therapy to work on a certain condition without boosting the overall Chi energy of the body, which therefore means that tui na can also treat a wide array of emotional problems, PMS, constipation, IBS, migraines, and headaches.
Across the US, this age-old bodywork of Chinese origin is now rapidly becoming a popular form of alternative treatment for many people suffering from physical ailments and pain.
A complete healing modality in itself, like Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture, Tui Na is one of the major branches of an Eastern healing system called traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). While Tui Na’s use keeps on growing, it is believed to be the oldest form of bodywork continuously practiced today.
The methods and details of Tui Na therapy used in addressing various forms of health problems have already been recorded 2,500 years ago in a document known as the Nei Jin or The Yellow Emperor’s Classics of Internal Medicine. Today’s practice of Tui Na makes this therapy a time tested hands-on and most tried form of treatment in the world after a protracted period of evolution and development.
During a tui na procedure, the patient is fully clothed and is asked by the therapist to lie on a couch or sit on a chair. Prior to performing the procedure, the therapist asks a number of questions regarding the patient’s state of health.
How does Tui Na work?
Tui Na is based on the theories of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Vancouver. One of its most fundamental theories states that within the body of a person there flows a life powering energy which the Chinese call Chi that travels throughout the body. Every facet of body function is based on the flow of Chi throughout the body.
According to TCM, the human body has a web of 12 paired energy channels called meridians – one constituent of each pair on the left side of the body and the other on the right. Encircling the head and the trunk in the mid-line are also a couple of unpaired energy channels.
While the meridians do exist in the body, they have no physiological structures. Instead, they are pathways in which the primary flow of Chi happens. You can imagine them as distinct currents of energy, similar to the water currents in the oceans.
Western experiments interestingly, have been utilized to map the flows of these channels, and they certify the accuracy of detailed charts created around the time of Nei Jing.
Along the energy channels there are specific Chi acupuncture points at irregular intervals where heat, needles, or pressure are applied to influence the manner in which Chi moves through the meridians. This may lead to healing responses on some body part that’s distant from where stimulus is applied.
When the flow of energy is disrupted in any part of the body, it leads to an imbalance of Chi which then results in sickness, stiffness, pain, and even emotional pain.
According to TCM, vitality and health depend on the proper balance of Chi in the body. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through Tui Na which makes use of a wide array of methods to do it.
A person observing a tui na session may notice that the therapy is similar to an intensive workout for the joints and soft tissues. The practitioner strives to do more than this. He focuses his attention on strategic acupuncture points and meridians. The practitioner massages these areas in order to clear out any obstructions to the flow of Chi.
The Chinese practice Tui na to treat conditions which, in the West, would be addressed with medications, physiotherapists, chiropractors, or osteopaths.
How does Tui Na feel like?
Tui na feels like a very intensive massage with every method requiring pressure as well as movement. The patient may initially feel a bit sore after the first session although after two or three days, the patient gets used to the firm pressure.
Based on the nature of your Tui Na treatment, you might feel a bit light headed after the treatment. Some patients may feel supercharged while others feel sleepy. More often than not, every patient feels better after the therapy.
Tui Na Side Effects
Tui na can have many side effects, just like acupuncture, although all them are positive. One example of such side effect is when a patient is treated for chronic back pain and finds that his longstanding constipation has also been relieved. The reason for this is that the treatment, which is mainly for pain, targets the Bladder meridian which directly connects to the large intestine’s Chi energies.
Other side effects can bring about strong emotions so much so that the patient can turn very emotional and cry uncontrollably during the treatment.
Contra-indications
Tui na is contraindicated for certain conditions although there are just a few of them.
For a person suffering from osteoporosis, very hard joint manipulations and very deep, soft tissue massage is inadvisable. Direct massage to the skin that has an infection or eczema is also not recommended. Although even in these instances it is possible to perform Tui Na therapy using selected distant acupuncture points and specific areas of the energy channels.