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| Shinjitai | 指圧 | ||||
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Shiatsu (/ʃiˈæts-,-ˈɑːtsuː/shee-AT-, -AHT-soo;[1]指圧) is a form of Japanesebodywork based on concepts intraditional Chinese medicine such asqi meridians. Having been popularized in the twentieth century byTokujiro Namikoshi (1905–2000),[2]shiatsu derives from the older Japanese massage modality calledanma.
There is no scientificevidence thatshiatsu will prevent or cure any disease.[3] Although it is considered a generally safe treatment—if sometimes painful—there have been reports of adverse health effects arising from its use, a few of them serious.[2]
In theJapanese language,shiatsu means "finger pressure".Shiatsu techniques include massages with fingers, thumbs, elbows, knuckles, feet and palms;acupressure, assistedstretching; andjoint manipulation andmobilization.[4] To examine a patient, a shiatsu practitioner usespalpation and, sometimes,pulse diagnosis.
The Japanese Ministry of Health definesshiatsu as "a form of manipulation by thumbs, fingers and palms without the use of instruments, mechanical or otherwise, to apply pressure to the human skin to correct internal malfunctions, promote and maintain health, and treat specific diseases. The techniques used inshiatsu include stretching, holding, and most commonly, leaning body weight into various points along key channels."[5]
The practice ofshiatsu is based on the traditional Chinese concept ofqi, which is sometimes described as an"energy flow".Qi is supposedly channeled through certain pathways in the human body, known asmeridians, causing a variety of effects.[6] Despite the fact that many practitioners use these ideas in explainingshiatsu,[7] neitherqi nor meridians exist as observable phenomena.[8][9]
There is no evidence thatshiatsu is of any benefit in treating cancer or any other disease, though some evidence suggests it might help people feel more relaxed.[3] In 2015, theAustralian Government's Department of Health published the results of a review of alternative therapies that sought to determine if any were suitable for being covered byhealth insurance;shiatsu was one of 17 therapies evaluated for which no clear evidence of effectiveness was found.[10] Accordingly, in 2017, the Australian government namedshiatsu as a practice that would not qualify for insurance subsidy, to ensure the best use of insurance funds.[11]
Shiatsu's claims of having a positive impact on a recipient's sense of vitality and well-being have to some extent been supported by studies where recipients reported improved relaxation, sleep, and lessened symptom severity.[2] However, the state of the evidence on its efficacy for treating any malady is poor, and one recentsystematic review did not findshiatsu to be effective for any particular health condition.[12] It is generally considered safe, though some studies have reported negative effects after a treatment withshiatsu,[2] and examples of serious health complications exist including one case ofthrombosis, oneembolism, and a documented injury from a "shiatsu-type massaging machine".[13]
Shiatsu evolved fromanma, a Japanese style of massage developed in 1320 by Akashi Kan Ichi.[14][15] Anma was popularised in the seventeenth century byacupuncturistSugiyama Waichi, and around the same time the first books on the subject, including Fujibayashi Ryōhaku's (藤林良伯)Anma Tebiki (按摩手引 "Manual of Anma"), appeared.[16]
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The Fujibayashi school carried anma into the modern age.[17] Prior to the emergence ofshiatsu inJapan, masseurs were often nomadic, earning their keep in mobile massage capacities, and paying commissions to their referrers.[citation needed]
Since Sugiyama's time, massage in Japan had been strongly associated with the blind.[18] Sugiyama, blind himself, established a number of medical schools for the blind which taught this practice. During theTokugawa period, edicts were passed which made the practice of anma solely the preserve of the blind – sighted people were prohibited from practicing the art.[14] As a result, the "blind anma" has become a popular trope in Japanese culture.[19] This has continued into the modern era, with a large proportion of the Japanese blind community continuing to work in the profession.[20]
Abdominal palpation as a Japanese diagnostic technique was developed by Shinsai Ota in the 17th century.[21][22]
During theOccupation of Japan by the Allies afterWorld War II, traditional medicine practices were banned (along with other aspects of traditional Japanese culture) byGeneral MacArthur. The ban prevented a large proportion of Japan's blind community from earning a living.[citation needed] Many Japanese entreated for this ban to be rescinded. Additionally, writer and advocate for blind rightsHelen Keller, on being made aware of the prohibition, interceded with the United States government; at her urging, the ban was rescinded.[23]
Tokujiro Namikoshi (1905–2000) founded hisshiatsu college in the 1940s and his legacy was the state recognition ofshiatsu as an independent method of treatment in Japan. He is often credited with inventing modernshiatsu. However, the termshiatsu was already in use in 1919, when a book calledShiatsu Ho ("finger pressure method") was published by Tamai Tempaku.[24] Also prior to Namikoshi's system, in 1925 the Shiatsu Therapists Association was founded, with the purpose of distancingshiatsu fromanma massage.[24][25]
Namikoshi's school taughtshiatsu within a framework of western medical science. A student and teacher of Namikoshi's school,Shizuto Masunaga, brought toshiatsu a traditional eastern medicine and philosophic framework. Masunaga grew up in a family ofshiatsu practitioners, with his mother having studied with Tamai Tempaku.[24] He founded Zen Shiatsu and the Iokai Shiatsu Center school.[26] Another student of Namikoshi,Hiroshi Nozaki founded the Hiron Shiatsu,[27] a holistic technique ofshiatsu that uses intuitive techniques and a spiritual approach to healing which identifies ways how to take responsibility for a healthy and happy life in the practitioner's own hands. It is practiced mainly in Switzerland, France and Italy, where its founder opened several schools.[28]
Shiatsu therapy is a form of manipulation administered by the thumbs, fingers and palms, without the use of any instrument, mechanical or otherwise, to apply pressure to the human skin
Vitalism generates no testable hypotheses and can neither be proven nor disproven. Detection of a signal on any type of physical apparatus implies that the signal mush have a physical origin—it must be a form of thermal, kinetic, electrical, electromagnetic, chemical, gravitational, or nuclear energy and, be definition, part of the mechanistic universe outside of which the hypothetical vital force dwells. Equally, even though we can't observe it directly in any way, it may still be there, in the same way that God may be there or in the same way that Russel's teapot may be there.
Based on this review, the evidence does not conclusively support the claim that acupuncture points or meridians are electrically distinguishable.
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