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| Tui na | |||||||||||||||||||
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.svg) "Tui na" in Chinese characters | |||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 推拿 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Push and grasp"[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Min name | |||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 掠龍 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Tui na ([tʰwéɪ.nǎ];Chinese:推拿) is a form ofalternative medicine similar toshiatsu.[2] As a branch oftraditional Chinese medicine, it is often used in conjunction withacupuncture,moxibustion,fire cupping, Chineseherbalism,tai chi or other Chinese internal martial arts, andqigong.[3]
Tui na is a hands-on body treatment that uses ChineseDaoist principles in an effort to bring theeight principles oftraditional Chinese medicine into balance. The practitioner may brush, knead, roll, press, and rub the areas between each of the joints, known as the eight gates, to attempt to open the body's defensiveqi (wei qi) and get the energy moving in the meridians and the muscles.[3] Techniques may be gentle or quite firm. The name comes from two of the actions:tui means "to push" andna means "to lift and squeeze." Other strokes include shaking andtapotement.[4] The practitioner can then use a range of motion, traction, and the stimulation ofacupressure points. These techniques are claimed to aid in the treatment of both acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions, as well as many non-musculoskeletal conditions.[5]
As with many other traditional Chinese medical practices, different schools vary in their approach to the discipline. Intraditional Korean medicine it is known aschu na (推拏), and it is related also to Japanesemassage oranma and its derivativesshiatsu andsekkotsu.[6]In the West, tui na is taught as a part of the curriculum at some acupuncture schools.[4]
A collaborative study between researchers in China and Germany concluded that the use of Tui na techniques can be a safe, low-cost method to reduce back and neck pain.[7]
