''Tui na'' (; ) is form of

alternative medicine Alternative medicine is any practice that aims to achieve the healing effects of medicine despite lacking biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or evidence from clinical trials. Complementary medicine (CM), complementary and ...

similar to

shiatsu ''Shiatsu'' ( ; ) is a form of Japanese bodywork based on concepts in traditional Chinese medicine such as qi meridians. Having been popularized in the twentieth century by Tokujiro Namikoshi (1905–2000), ''shiatsu'' derives from the older J ...

. As a branch of

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medicine, alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logica ...

, it is often used in conjunction with

acupuncture Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture is a pseudoscience; the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scient ...

moxibustion Moxibustion () is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy which consists of burning dried mugwort ('' wikt:moxa'') on particular points on the body. It plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, ...

fire cupping Cupping therapy is a form of alternative medicine in which a local suction is created on the skin with the application of heated cups. Its practice mainly occurs in Asia but also in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. Cupping has ...

, Chinese

herbalism Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remedie ...

tai chi Tai chi (), short for Tai chi ch'üan ( zh, s=太极拳, t=太極拳, first=t, p=Tàijíquán, labels=no), sometimes called " shadowboxing", is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and meditation. ...

or other Chinese internal martial arts, and ''

qigong ''Qigong'' (), ''qi gong'', ''chi kung'', ''chi 'ung'', or ''chi gung'' () is a system of coordinated body-posture and movement, breathing, and meditation used for the purposes of health, spirituality, and martial-arts training. With roots in ...

''.

Background

''Tui na'' is a hands-on body treatment that uses Chinese

Daoist Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Ta ...

principles in an effort to bring the

eight principles The identification and differentiation of syndromes according to the eight principles is one of the core concepts of traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis.The Foundations of Chinese Medicine by Giovanni Maciocia Chapter 18 Identification of Patt ...

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 chi (wei qi) and get the energy moving in the meridians and the muscles. 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. The practitioner can then use a range of motion, traction, and the stimulation of

acupressure Acupressure is an alternative medicine technique often used in conjunction with acupuncture or reflexology. It is based on the concept of life energy, which flows through "meridians" in the body. In treatment, physical pressure is applied to ac ...

points. These techniques are claimed to aid in the treatment of both acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions, as well as many non-musculoskeletal conditions. As with many other traditional Chinese medical practices, different schools vary in their approach to the discipline. In

traditional Korean medicine Traditional Korean medicine (known in North Korea as Koryo medicine) refers to the forms of traditional medicine practiced in Korea. History Korean medicine traditions originated in ancient and prehistoric times and can be traced back as far a ...

it is known as ''china'', and it is related also to Japanese

massage Massage is the manipulation of the body's soft tissues. Massage techniques are commonly applied with hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearms, feet or a device. The purpose of massage is generally for the treatment of body stress or pain. In E ...

or ''

anma ''Anma'' ( ja, ) is a practice of traditional Japanese massage; the word also refers to practitioners of that art. Modern shiatsu is largely derived from ''anma''. History ''Anma'' is thought to be of Chinese origin, developing from ''Tui Na' ...

'' and its derivatives ''

'' and ''

sekkotsu or Judo therapy (柔道整復術) is the traditional Japanese art of bone-setting. It has been used in many Japanese martial arts Japanese martial arts refers to the variety of martial arts native to the country of Japan. At least three Jap ...

. ''In the West, tui na is taught as a part of the curriculum at some acupuncture schools. File:MG 3102.jpg File:MG 3072.jpg

Efficacy

Most of the research on tui na originates from China, and is of poor quality and ethically questionable. There is no good evidence tui na is an effective treatment and its safety is poorly understood. As one example of recent research from another source, a small study found with reasonable confidence, cost-effective reduction of neck pain through application of Tui na.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tui Na Traditional Chinese medicine Manual therapy Chinese words and phrases Massage therapy

Background

Efficacy

See also

References