Tui na is a hands-on body treatment that uses Chinese Daoist principles in an effort to bring the eight principles of traditional 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 defensive qi (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" and na means "to lift and squeeze." Other strokes include shaking and tapotement.[4] The practitioner can then use a range of motion, traction, and the stimulation of acupressure 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. In traditional Korean medicine it is known as chu na (推拏), and it is related also to Japanese massage or anma and its derivatives shiatsu and sekkotsu.[6]In the West, tui na is taught as a part of the curriculum at some acupuncture schools.[4]
Efficacy
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]
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