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Practitioners have developed and refined Chinese massage, including the tui na and zhi ya traditions, for more than 4,000 years. These styles share similar techniques with Western massage but also take a Chinese medicine approach. You can find Chinese massage practitioners who specialize in more physical or more energetic healing modalities (depending on their particular type of training) to suit your unique needs and situation.

What Is Chinese Massage?

Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners say body energy must continuously flow to prevent stress and disease. Over many millennia, these therapists have developed a variety of related bodywork therapies, including acupuncture, acupressure, and Chinese massage.

Traditional Chinese healers manipulate the meridian system (inner energy points and pathways) to encourage the flow of “qi” (body energy) and blood throughout the body. Not only does “qi” flow through bodies, but the belief is that it also animates the entire world. Practitioners balance their clients’ “qi” by clearing energy pathways called jing luo of blockages that cause pain and disease. Chinese massage practitioners identify pathways with the limited flow and use hand pressure to restore balance and energy circulation.

Today, therapists practice Chinese massage all over the world. Western clients enjoy the mental and physical benefits of this practice, including stress relief and musculoskeletal realignment. Chinese massage practitioners typically focus on the therapeutic benefits of massage, as opposed to the Western model of stress relief and relaxation. Chinese massage therapists address and balance their clients’ entire holistic health, not just specific symptoms.

Benefits of Chinese Massage

Chinese massage can remove layers of emotional stress while breaking down scar tissue, increasing range of motion, and reducing pain. Other benefits include:

• Renewed energy, vigor, and strength
• Soothed lower back pain and sciatica
• Better cardiovascular health
• Lowered hypertension (blood pressure)
• Opened up frozen shoulders
• Relieved rheumatoid arthritis symptoms
• Increased immunity
• Better sleep
• Healthier organ function
• Hormone release
• Improved respiration and circulation
• Released lactic acid buildups
• Accelerated injury and surgical recovery

Source: massagetique