''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 alt ...
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 ...
.
As a branch of
traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an 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 logical mechanism of action ...
, 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 scientifi ...
,
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 reme ...
,
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 neijia, internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and medita ...
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 ''Tao'' ...
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 ...
of
traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an 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 logical mechanism of action ...
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
Tapotement is a specific technique used in Swedish massage. It is a rhythmic percussion, most frequently administered with the edge of the hand, a cupped hand or the tips of the fingers. There are five types of tapotement including Beating (clos ...
.
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 Eu ...
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 ''
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 ...
'' 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 and has developed alongside Judo (柔道) into a licensed medical practice somewhat resembling chiropractic in Japa ...
. ''In the West, tui na is taught as a part of the curriculum at some acupuncture schools.
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.
See also
*
Chin na
Qinna () is the set of joint lock techniques used in the Chinese martial arts to control or lock an opponent's joints or muscles/tendons so they cannot move, thus neutralizing the opponent's fighting ability. ''Qinna Shu'' ( meaning "technique") ...
*
Dit Da
Die da () or dit da, is a traditional Chinese method of bone-setting used to treat trauma and injuries such as bone fractures, sprains, and bruises.
Background
Dit da originated in Guangdong, China, and was usually practiced by martial artists w ...
*
Gua Sha
''Gua sha'' (), or ''kerokan'' (in Indonesia), is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practice in which a tool is used to scrape people's skin in order to produce light petechiae. Practitioners believe that ''gua sha'' releases unhealthy bodily ...
*
Naprapathy
Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the spine. It has esoteric origins and is based on several pseudoscien ...
*
Pushing hands
Pushing hands, Push hands or tuishou (alternately spelled ''tuei shou'' or ''tuei sho'') is a two-person training routine practiced in internal Chinese martial arts such as Baguazhang, Xingyiquan, Taijiquan (tài jí quán), and Yiquan. It is ...
*
Dim Mak
The touch of death (or death-point striking) refers to any martial arts technique reputed to kill using seemingly less than lethal force targeted at specific areas of the body.
The concept known as ''dim mak'' (), alternatively ' () traces its ...
*
Varma Kalai
Varma Kalai (Tamil: ''varmakkalai'', Malayalam and Sanskrit: ''marma-vidya'', Sinhala: ''maru kalā'', Telugu: ''marma-vidya kaḷa'') is a Tamil traditional art of vital points. It originated in present-day Kanyakumari,Tamilnadu, the southern ...
*
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 ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tui Na
Traditional Chinese medicine
Manual therapy
Chinese words and phrases
Massage therapy