Tui Na Massage Lakewood

Tui Na

History of Tui Na Massage

With origins dating back to 2700 BC, Tui Na massage is one of the oldest and most deeply rooted forms of bodywork still in practice today. The term “Mosuo” was mostly used to describe this form of massage in ancient times, while the modern term of “Tui Na” first came out during the Ming Dynasty in China. Roughly translating to “pushing and grasping”, Tui Na massage relies on various hand, wrist and elbow techniques to positively affect an array of presentations ranging from musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions to digestive upset to headaches.

Many of the ancient texts that first described the early techniques of Tui Na were lost in wars. The two most important early texts first preserved were found on inscriptions on bones and tortoise shells from the Yin-Shang Dynasty and also from medical books from the tombs of the Han Dynasty in Mawangdui, Changsha. These texts describe a time period where prayer and sacrifice were mainly used to “cure illnesses”. Tui Na was the only real form of medicine that was widely used at the time and records show that the people of that age were very skillful in using various external ointments and Tui Na massage to treat diseases.

Ever since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, this medicine has entered a new development age with modern research studies, the consolidation of ancient texts, fresh imaging capabilities (x-ray, MRI’s, etc…), and professional worldwide teaching practices. The gate control theory in neurophysiology has been employed to successfully explain the analgesic (pain-reducing) effect of Tui Na. It helped conclude that Tui Na creates distinct changes in the circulating speed of blood and lymph vascular fluid, which aids in lowering blood pressure, eliminating swelling, and reducing blood stagnation in the body.

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Today, Tui Na helps to prevent and treat disease by means of applying this therapeutic massage/manipulations to the parts of the body to regulate the physiological and pathological conditions. Its primary principles include:

  • Balancing Yin and Yang – part of the ancient concept of two opposite but unified aspects in life, Tui Na is used to help find that balance between the yin (referring to the lower half of the physical body and also the internal portion body) and the yang (referring to the upper half of the physical body and the exterior portion of the body).

  • Relaxing muscles and tendons, and regulating/balancing the meridians – through the concepts of meridians/channels in the body, Tui Na can help balance these various aspects of the body and bring about an overall balance or homeostasis.

  • Treating and restoring injured soft tissues and promoting their recovery and renovation – the direct eternal force exerted through Tui Na can aid in everything from joint dislocation to restoring states of soft tissue injuries to their normal state.

  • Promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis – Tui Na promotes the activities of the tissues of the body, the circulation of Qi and Blood in the acupuncture meridians, and the passive movements of the body’s joints.

Tui Na
Tui Na

What is the difference between Tui Na and other alternative manual therapies?

Unlike many massage therapists and chiropractors, Tui Na relies on the theoretical base of Traditional Chinese Medicine to create a tailor made treatment protocol for each patient. Using the traditional concepts of Qi, blood, organ function, and yin & yang in addition to any subjective feedback provided by the patient, a unique treatment plan is formulated by the practitioner. By doing this, Tui Na is not limited solely to musculoskeletal discomfort such as massage or chiropractic care. Instead, it is able to address and help regulate physical pain as well as other internal disorders.

Although similar bone setting techniques may be shared between Tui Na and Chiropractic care, generally speaking, Chiropractic is most effective at reducing misalignments within bony structures, but it lacks in addressing the surrounding muscles; resulting in a rebound effect post treatment. Tui Na, however, is able to address the skeletal issue as well as the surrounding muscles, tendons, and ligaments to minimize this rebound effect.

At The Root Acupuncture clinic, Tui Na massage may be used as a stand alone treatment or as a part of a regular acupuncture treatment. Patients remain clothed throughout the medial massage and are encouraged to wear loose fitting clothing. Unlike many other forms of massage, Tui Na is not generally used for the sole purpose of pleasure and relaxation, instead, used as a treatment to address a specific ailment. With this being said, however, similar techniques such as kneading, rubbing, tapping or shaking  may be experienced. Patients often report feeling both relaxed and rejuvenated after a Tui Na massage.

Chinese Herbal topicals, compresses, or plasters may also be used during your Tui Na massage to further promote healing effects.

There are a wide-range of beneficial effects with Tui Na, but here are the most common ailments that we use this technique for in the clinic:
● Headache
● Abdominal Pain
● Diarrhea
● Constipation
● Dysmenorrhea
● Frozen Shoulder
● Neck Pain
● Low Back Pain
● Piriformis Syndrome
● Sciatica
Zach Young is our most skilled Tui Na practitioner and works with everyone from adults to small children with Tui Na. This gentle massage technique can easily be adapted in its strength to treat a patient of any age and modern research studies are proving its effectiveness in treating everything from infantile fever to ADHD in children.

Please reach out to us via phone or email if you have any additional questions about Tui Na or wish to book a treatment at our offices.