Tui Na - Healing Massage Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Tui Na, also known as An Mo, is a form of medical massage, and is one of the five branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The other four branches are acupuncture, herbal medicine, food therapy (diet) and Qi Gong (similar to Tai Chi), and ideally several branches are used on each patient for maximum benefit.

Tui Na uses the same energy channels as acupuncture, and massage along the meridians and at acupuncture points stimulates and balances the flow of energy in the body and affects particular organs. When the body's energy is in balance, healing can occur. Tui Na massage also stimulates the flow of blood and so-called 'defensive energy', making the body more resistant to disease.

Tui Na differs from typical western massage as its aim is not only to relax and relieve muscular tension, but also prevent and treat disease.

Records of massage can be found in almost all ancient civilizations. Massage was used in China from 1700 BC onwards, and records show that it was used to treat young children and digestive problems in adults. By 700 AD, it had become a separate discipline of study at Chinese medical colleges. As well as being used to treat disease, Tui Na was used as a preventative, to stop diseases from taking root in the body.

Several different schools of Tui Na evolved. Disabled people, especially the blind, were often trained in Tui Na, as their increased sense of touch was particularly beneficial.

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Tui Na means 'poke-pinch' or 'push-grasp' in Chinese. Tui Na involves a number of different massages strokes, as well as deep massage at specific points on the body. For example:

- Tui = gliding
- Nie = kneading
- Da = percussion

It is not necessary to undress for Tui Na, as no oils or devices are used. Patients generally lie in loose clothing on a massage table to receive treatment. For acute conditions, one to three treatments may be given, or up to six or eight for more long-term disorders.

Tui Na can benefit a wide range of musculoskeletal and internal medicine problems. For example:

Tui Na is beneficial for:

- Musculoskeletal problems, including arthritis, sciatica, sports injuries, frozen shoulder, TMJ, tennis elbow, whiplash and back pain
- Weakness and body wasting
- Spinal disc problems and nerve paralysis
- Stress-related problems such as insomnia, tension headaches and constipation

It can also treat the following internal problems:

- Reproductive problems - for example infertility, sexual dysfunction and menstrual pain
- Respiratory problems - such as asthma and bronchitis
- Digestive problems - including ulcers and gall bladder infections
- Cardiovascular problems - for example angina, high blood pressure and poor circulation

Tui Na is a very gentle therapy, with no side effects and is suitable for all patients, including the elderly and very young.

Tui Na is not used for:

- Fractures
- Open wounds and sores
- Infectious conditions

Tui Na is not suitable for those simply seeking a relaxing massage, as the massage is deep and will work on points found to be tense to balance the energy.

Tui Na can also benefit animals. Acupuncture has been scientifically proven to benefit animals, and animals are great for demonstrating acupuncture's and Chinese medicine's effects, as there is no placebo effect in animals!

Tui Na is great for the few (less than 5%) of animals who will not tolerate needles, or whose owners do not like the thought of needles. It is also good for very young or very elderly animals as it is a very gentle, enjoyable therapy, and owners can be taught a basic Tui Na massage to do at home between acupuncture sessions.

To find a trained veterinary Tui Na practitioner, click here to visit the website of the Chi Institute of Chinese Veterinary Medicine, a respected organization that trains veterinarians and veterinary technicians in Chinese medicine for animals.

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Tui Na is an effective therapy that is free from side effects and is also generally much cheaper than other medical or surgical options.

Western scientific studies have recently shown that Tui Na does have genuine medical benefits. For example, Tui Na alone has been shown to lower blood pressure within minutes, by around 5mmhg.

Tui Na is more commonly used in combination with acupuncture and/or herbal medicine, for a synergistic effect. For example, a study of women with dysmenorrhea (severe period pain) found that 93.3% improved when treated with acupuncture and Tui Na, versus 73.3% improving with acupuncture alone (Guo and Meng, 2008)

Acupuncture is another branch of Chinese Medicine that has been shown to have genuine, beneficial effects in both animals and people. As a veterinarian and certified veterinary acupuncturist, I have found it extremely rewarding to see animals benefit from acupuncture, especially when modern medicine and drugs proved to inadequately control their pain, or produce too many side effects. Acupuncture is especially useful in controlling pain and in chronic conditions, such as arthritis. It is also a great preventative, especially for competition animals to help them quickly recover from the stress and strains of competing.

I have recently written an ebook about acupuncture for dogs, detailing how acupuncture works, what conditions it can benefit, how it is done on dogs, real life case studies and more. For more information, click here!