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What Is Oriental Massage?

According to Holistic Online, massage may be the oldest and simplest form of medical care. Specifically, oriental massages are based on the general theories of Chinese medicine, which include a general sense of balance and harmony. Although there are several variations and techniques employed during Oriental massages, they generally fall into two basic types: tui na and zhi na.

  1. About Tui Na Massage

    • The tui na massage technique is based upon the idea that scar tissue in damaged areas should be broken down in order to promote healing. The massage techniques are meant to stretch, push and knead the muscles while increasing blood flow to damaged areas. Tui na massage techniques are also related to acupuncture and herbal remedy approaches to healing. People with joint- or muscle-specific pain, arthritis, diabetes, high stress or emotional issues may find a tui na massage beneficial.

    Tui Na Massage Process

    • The tui na massage generally begins with a consultation to understand if there are any specific areas of pain or tension. Some therapists may also perform a brief health assessment to understand comorbid diseases (occurring simultaneously and often independently) and vital signs. The therapist will then perform the massage while focusing on specific acupressure or energy trigger points, joints or muscles. The massage, which lasts between 30 minutes and one hour, is not a light, relaxing massage, as significant pressure is often required to treat the affected areas.

    Zhi Ya Massage

    • The zhi ya massage emphasizes acupressure to relieve pain and muscle stress for specific areas of the body. While similar to tui na, it differs in the focus is more on pinching and pressure as opposed to kneading. While focused on pressure points, a zhi ya massage never uses needles to puncture the skin at pressure points. The massage theory is that through accupressure, blood flow to specific areas is stimulated which promotes healing.

    Zhi Ya Massage Process

    • Similar to the tui na massage, the zhi ya process begins with a consultation to understand where specific problems or pains may be located. From there, the massage therapist will prepare the patient for the massage depending upon the area requiring acupressure treatment. From there, pressure is applied to specific points on the body that stimulate self-healing through release of muscular tension and promotion of circulation.

    Benefits of Massage Therapy

    • According to the National Institutes of Health, massage therapy can reduce state anxiety, blood pressure and heart rate in a single session, while repeated sessions are effective at reducing generalized anxiety, depression and pain. Massage therapy has also been proven effective for reducing chronic pain through multiple clinical trials and research. It is also considered a very low-risk option when performed by a trained professional within the complementary and alternative medicine realm of treatment.

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