With such a wide variety of massage therapies available today, you may be unable to find one that’s uniquely suited to your needs. Fortunately, there is an extremely powerful and versatile type of massage technique that may be perfect for you. It is called Tui Na massage and it works by kneading, rubbing, or applying pressure to your muscles, in order to heal a certain ailment. The biggest difference Tui Na has with other massage techniques is that it is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which means its approach is a bit different than the other massages.
Tui Na is a major component of TCM and is believed to have been practiced as far back as 5,000 years ago. Today, the Chinese people use it as a primary form of medicinal therapy. Tui Na is considered the basis for other therapies in the West, including acupressure and shiatsu.

TCM views the body as one whole organism that is connected the universe and to itself in every way, and not just as single individual parts that work separately. As with other massages, Tui Na therapy works on the same parts of your body and muscles. However, you will begin to see how a holistic type of treatment quickly makes the treatment subtly unique. TCM is defined in part by channels of nutrients and energy called meridians, as well as concepts such as the 5 Elements Theory that can identify your specific diagnosis for treatment purposes.

An example of how TCM works is when you experience pain in your shoulders and neck. In TCM, the pain may mean one energy channel has a problem which in this case, is your Gall Bladder energy channel/meridian (to differentiate from the scientific definition of the organ, ‘Gall Bladder’ is capitalized here). By knowing the TCM meridians, your Tui Na practitioner can identify the points on your lower legs or feet that can lead to the removal of the pain. By knowing the Five Elements theory your practitioner may know one or a couple of points or your hand and wrist to be used. These same points may not necessarily be used for treatment for other forms of massage, and they would certainly not follow the same explanation.

Tui Na massage is just simply different in application and is not necessarily better than other types of massage. This massage is often used as an adjunctive therapy to herbal medicine, qi gong, cupping therapy, and acupuncture in the West, which means your licensed and qualified TCM practitioner in Cleveland can incorporate some type of Tui Na massage in your treatment plan. Make sure you seek treatment from a qualified therapist who has an understanding of the wide range of different modes of TCM treatment.