Tag: Balance

TuiNa – Chinese Medical Massage

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What is TuiNa?

TuiNa (pronounced ‘tweenah’) is a therapeutic, Chinese medical massage that is an integral part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) which comprises of acupuncture, herbs, TuiNa and Qi Gong. There are few practitioners in the UK but it’s reputation and availability is growing.

 

TuiNa is a strong and dynamic form of remedial bodywork, which can have a significant therapeutic effect. Many clients say they feel energized by it and feel significant improvements within a relatively short period of time. It is more akin to osteopathy or physiotherapy in it’s purpose, although it’s referred to as a massage.

In China, it is seen as a primary therapy, comparable in effectiveness as acupuncture and herbal medicine in treating a range of health issues. When I was training at a Chinese hospital, there was a entire department dedicated to TuiNa including a gentler form for paediatric care. Unlike many hands on massage techniques, which support relaxation and help with deep tissue strain, TuiNa practitioners aim to treat more than musculo-skeletal conditions, and also look at other health issues they can resolve.

Clinical trials in China have shown that Tuina is effective for a wide range of problems of a musculo-skeletal and neurological origin, such as tension headaches, stiff neck, frozen shoulder, back pain, sciatica, RSI and arthritis. It is also helps with hypertension, asthma and many abdominal problems such as IBS, especially where tension and stress are causative factors.

Tuina medical Chinese massage

TuiNa Techniques

TuiNa practitioners use a number of different techniques: deep tissue work to release fascia, and enhance the flow of blood and lymph, pressing on specific acupuncture points and additionally joint mobilization and stretching. TuiNa does not require you to disrobe as you are treated through clothes or with a sheet over you. You may also be treated when you are seated as well as on the treatment couch depending what the issue is.

In my practice I also combine acupuncture with TuiNa because they complement each other so well. I may also use cupping (the use of glass cups to provide suction) a technique that looks awful but feels great as many of my clients (and many celebs) will attest – it isn’t at all painful!

 

The great thing about TCM is that it offers a variety of therapeutic tools to support wellbeing, each of them complementing each other. As a practitioner, that means I can help my client feel better, sooner.

As a client of mine said to me ‘once you’ve had TuiNa, its hard to go back to any other kind of massage’.

Yin and Yang. Balance – in acupuncture and in life

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Most people will recognise the iconic yin yang circular symbol with an inverted ‘S’ separating each half. Black on one side (yin) with a small white circle (yang) and the reverse on the opposite side. It’s used a lot but it’s meaning is often misunderstood.

It could be defined as two halves of a whole. Nothing is completely Yin or completely Yang. Yin and Yang are interdependent so they never stand alone. They are opposing yet complementary. There is always some yang in yin (the white dot in the black) and vice versa. The nature of yin and yang constantly changes over time, and is influenced by many external factors. In relation to a person’s health, the acupuncturists job is to bring it back into balance.

But what is yin? And what is yang?

The word Yin is translated as the “shady side” and Yang “sunny side”. In TCM the yin element is cool, calm, slow, dark and feminine, the yang is warm, dynamic, moving and bright. As an example this concept is especially important for Chinese healing practices. So while it’s great to be warm, dynamic and moving, an excess of Yang can results in a fever and a deficiency would leave you shivering. And it’s wonderful if you’re feeling calm, cool and zen-like but an excess of Yin could mean suffering from water retention or a deficiency with night sweats. It’s all about balance.

When it comes to life, we can tend to think in absolutes: I’m always like this or never like that… But the balance of Yin and Yang can be skewed in relation to outside influences, so if the sun shines or you have a less stressful day at work, life can feel quite different. We are in constant flux and so is our health.

So while Yin and Yang aren’t the only factors in reaching a diagnosis, your acupuncturist is looking to achieve a level of homeostasis in relation to you as an individual. Neither too much nor too little yin or yang. So for example, maintain enough yang to keep you moving forward but not so much that you’re manic. And strengthen your yin so you’re calm but not so that you’re comatose!

Life offers many challenges and it can be hard to keep it all together. Acupuncture can help to keep you in balance. After a few treatments, clients often report feeling lighter and more grounded.

And we could all do with a bit of that.

All in your head… Coming down to earth with acupuncture

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I see a lot of clients who just can’t switch off their brains. It’s a modern malaise. Our lives are so full of ‘stuff’: work, relationships, children, friends, world peace… It’s hard to recognise that our feet haven’t touched the ground in a while.

It’s telling that mindfulness is becoming increasingly popular among city dwellers. We all need to stop and experience the moment. And you can’t do that if your mind is not connected to the rest of you.

For some, being in their heads all the time is an escape, others over-think everything or worry obsessively, or find they’re still stressing about work long after they’ve left the office. A busy mind can be pretty exhausting and it may also cause a series of other seemingly unrelated health issues, both physical and psychological. And it’s often these symptoms that bring them to see an acupuncturist.

Another reason to be in your head is when your body is in pain. It’s understandable that people living with chronic conditions shut down from the pain signals their body is experiencing. Clients have described their bodies as feeling numb, or not feeling connected to their bodies at all. When they are in extreme pain, their mind takes over and their bodies simply shut down. They feel stuck. This dissociation can be very damaging, bleeding through into other areas of their lives and into their personal relationships.

So how can Chinese medicine (TCM) help?
Clients can benefit from a range of therapeutic support. Acupuncture is renowned for its ability to reduce chronic pain, but it’s is also wonderful for clearing the head and relaxing the mind. Pain, according to TCM is the result of ‘stagnation’ in the body, and acupuncture is able to get things moving again. TuiNa massage works therapeutically to reduce tension in the muscles and joints and further support healing. A series of treatments allows the client space and time to heal, and a way to reconnect with themselves. Feet firmly on the ground.

 

Read Dan’s story here