Tui Na- Traditional Chinese Massage

Tuina is traditional Chinese Medical Massage, the practitioners hands place pressure on soft tissue along the meridians of the body and at specific points on the body (acupuncture points) utilising acupoint therapy to assist in the balancing of the body.  Treatments incorporate acupressure and massage techniques: your practitioner may brush, knead, roll, press, tap and/or rub affected areas. The massage is usually done using gentle to quite firm pressure, using palms, thumbs, fingers, and elbows, added to this are various stretches. To receive Tui Na massage feels not unsimilar to a therapeutic deep tissue massage.

Tui na is considered an external medicine, along with the utilisation of cupping, moxibustion, and gua sha, these modalities are often used together in various combinations. In conjunction your practitioner may combine both Acupuncture and Tui na into a single treatment, as this combination works effectively: The objective of the combined treatment is to stimulate blood flow to sore or injured areas, which helps to initiate a healing effect within that particular area; while simultaneously providing pain relief, releasing tension & reducing inflammation. Stimulating injuries to heal effectively the first time, reducing the chance of this reoccurring, people too frequently experience those niggly injuries that come and go during life, hence the importance of addressing injuries properly when they first arise. As unfortunately the longer things are left the longer they will take to resolve, the body is a 'creature of habit' and requires more encouragement as time progresses.

Tui Na It is similar to Shiatsu in that it uses the Traditional Chinese Medical theory of the flow of Qi through the meridians of the body as its basic means of therapy. Tui Na can improve general circulation, increase range of motion and is effective in nerve regulation. Tui Na massage plays a role in rehabilitation and is effective in the treatment of muscles, tendons and ligaments. Tuina can be a complete healing system in itself, it is effective for not only musculo-skeletal problems, but also internal ailments such as digestive problems, menstrual disorders, respiratory illnesses, and stress.


TUINA IS COMMONLY USED TO TREAT:

- Neck / shoulder pain

- Back/ hip pain

- Shoulder joint pain

- Leg/ ankle pain

- Calf tension

- Jaw tension

- Arthritis

- Sciatica

- Muscle spasms

- Sports Injuries

- Sprains/ strains

- Occupational overuse syndrome(OOS)

..... And just general relaxation & wellbeing!

What is Chinese Cupping?

Patients often ask about “what the glass oval cups are used for” when visiting my practise. Hopefully this information will explain and give you more of an understanding of what cupping is and the benefits cupping has when using them.

Cupping is an ancient method of treating muscular tension which from a Chinese Medicine perspective is generally caused from “Stagnation”. (Stagnation - prevents blood and energy in the body from moving freely and results in giving elevated pain and restricted movement in the affected muscle area) Cupping assists by drawing out the muscular tension and allowing the affected muscle area to release the tension.

Cupping is achieved by creating a partial vacuum inside a Chinese cup (as seen in the supplied picture above) this is done with a small flame inside the cup, then the flame quickly extinguished creating the vacuum. The cup is then applied to the affected muscular area(s). Because of the vacuum, the underlying tissue is gently drawn into the cup. The cups remain in the affected area for up to 20 minutes. If we have a slightly larger area to cover we can do “sliding cupping” where a small amount of oil is applied to the skin so we can move the cups around. For some particular conditions a cup can be placed on top of a needle to create a desired effect. We have various sized cups to accommodate different surface areas.

The mechanism through which cupping creates a therapeutic effect is by stimulating blood flow to the area being cupped, so fresh blood is directed to the area and brings with it nutrients for the muscles and helps initiate a healing response in the tissue. Cupping also assists by pulling out the stuck blood that may be left in a muscle which is not in a relaxed state. The suction effect assists with flushing toxins out of the muscle by lifting the muscle off the bone. Cupping is extremely effective at relaxing muscular tension, breaking adhesions between the skin and underlying connective tissues allowing for unrestricted movement and relaxing muscle fibres. This incorporated with Acupuncture enhances the healing effect and stimulates deep muscle relaxation.

Most people describe the cupping sensation felt as being a drawing but pleasant feeling. The treatment is painless when the cups are applied to the body. The muscle release afterwards is similar to the feeling felt after a deep tissue massage. Common areas we apply cups to are the lower/mid back, between the shoulder blades, shoulders and lower neck.

Cupping is commonly used for the following issues and is limited to being applied on flat surface areas (being mainly the back):

• Shoulder Tension (Deltoids and Trapezius)
• Lower Back Pain (Sciatica)
• Tight and tensioned Hips
• Back muscle tension due to excessive weight use and heavy lifting
• Back muscle tension due to poor back posture

If you are interested in trying Cupping come in for a consultation to discuss how it could potentially benefit any particular ailments you may be experiencing.