Chinese massage techniques date back as far as 5,000 years. While Americans and other westerners may view a massage as a way to relax and work out muscle aches and tension, Chinese traditional medicine views massage as a powerful medical technique capable of treating problems not only in the muscles, but in the entire body--including internal organs. If you decide to try Chinese-style massage, you can choose from several styles.
Zhi ya
Zhi ya massage is also known as acupressure. It is based on the pressure points of acupuncture, but, unlike acupuncture, it does not involving piercing the skin with needles. Pressing these points, according to Chinese traditional medicine, stimulates the flow of blood and the qi force, enabling the body to heal itself. Pressure can range from light to strong. Zhi ya is good for relieving minor pain and for promoting general health.
Tui na
Like zhi ya, tui na considers the flow of qi energy through the body and uses the pressure points of acupuncture. It uses hand techniques to massage the body's tendons and muscles, manipulation techniques to adjust musculoskeletal relationships and acupressure techniques to help with qi flow. Tui na tends to focus on specific problems, such as aches, pains, sprains and musculoskeletal misalignment, as well as internal diseases.
Bahuoguan
Bahuoguan is also known as cupping. A practitioner uses a "guan," which is shaped like a cup, to perform a kind of massage on the body. First, the practitioner burns cotton inside the cup to remove the air from the vessel, creating a pressure difference from the outside air that makes the cup stick to the skin. The suction stimulates the pressure points under the cup and brings blood to the area. Potential sites for bahuoguan include the shoulders, hips, belly, waist and neck. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that it can relieve pain and help with colds, diarrhea, bronchitis, hypertension and other conditions.
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