Le massage Amma is an ancient energy approach based on the principles of traditional Japanese and Chinese medicine. It combines several body techniques that are related to reflexology, shiatsu, Swedish massage and chiropractic. It aims to eliminate energy blockages and prevent and maintain health by exercising a series of maneuvers on 148 specific points located along the meridians, muscles and joints.

In addition to being stimulant, it allows to reach a deep state of relaxation and well-being interior. The full Amma massage is practiced on the whole body, in a lying position, while the Amma seated massage is practiced on a chair and excludes the treatment of the legs.

“Amma” (sometimes written anma) is a traditional term meaning massage in Japanese. It originates from the Chinese term “Anmo”, which is its equivalent and which has been used for millennia to describe the massage technique practiced in China. The expressions massage Amma, amma therapy et technique Amma are therefore commonly used to name the massage technique that was first introduced in Korea before settling in Japan nearly 1 years ago. In the XVIII^e century, the Japanese state regulated the profession which was then taught in specialized schools almost exclusively to blind people. After the war of 1945, its exercise was banned by the Americans. Amma massage later reappeared to become the most popular form of massage in Japan today.

We owe to Tina son, Amma massage mistress of Korean origin, for having renewed interest in the practice in the West. In 1976, along with her husband Robert Sohn and a small group of supporters, she established the Holistic Health Center (renamed in 2002 to the New York College of Health Professions). It is one of the most important training and research centers in holistic medicine to offer an advanced program in Amma massage.

With regard to the practice of Amma seated massage, it was born in the United States in the early 1980s thanks to David Palmer. In 1982, his master Takashi Nakamura entrusted him with the mission of directing the Amma Institute of Traditional Japanese Massage, the first American school exclusively dedicated to teaching Amma massage. It was in this institution, which no longer exists today, that he experimented with the technique of chair massage before founding his own school. Ancient Japanese illustrations show that seated massage was once practiced at the beginning and end of a normal massage session. The technique has made it possible to broaden the practice of massage which is given practically in all places, in airports, shopping centers, in the workplace, etc.

There is no official body supervising training in massage Amma. These are professional associations, such as the Fédération québécoise des massothérapeutes¹, who ensure that standards are met both in terms of training and practice.

Amma massage is a comprehensive approach used both as a method of a change., traitement and relaxation. Its soothing and energizing effect is suitable for a very large audience. It can, among other things, help reduce nervous excitability, relieve stress and it leads to a general state of well-being.

There is very little evidence specific to the massage Amma. For more information on the benefits of massage in general, refer to the massage therapy sheet.

 Contribute to the well-being of nurses. A pilot feasibility study evaluated the effects of this treatment on nurses at a teaching hospital on Long Island². The experimental group (12 people) received a 45-minute massage session per week for 4 weeks. For the control group (8 people), a standardized therapeutic touch protocol designed to mimic the sequence of the Amma treatment was applied, but without the pressure, intention or digital circular motion used for the massage. Blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygenation, skin temperature, and anxiety measurements were taken before and after each treatment. Although some changes in physiological parameters could be observed, the results showed no significant difference between the groups. However, while both groups saw their anxiety decrease after each intervention, this decrease was more marked in the massage group throughout the study.

• Any form of massage does not usually present any risk on a healthy subject. However, it is contraindicated to give a massage to people suffering from circulatory disorders (phlebitis, thrombosis, varicose veins), cardiac disorders (arteriosclerosis, hypertension, etc.) or diabetes without medical advice.
• It is contraindicated to give a massage immediately after a meal, following major surgery, during a high fever, on recent wounds or scars, in case of contagious skin infections, on fibroids or tumors and on an intoxicated person.
• It is also contraindicated to give a deep massage after the 3^e months of pregnancy as well as at the beginning of pregnancy, around the malleoli (bony protrusions of the ankle). Abdominal massage during menstruation and on the stomach of women wearing an IUD is not recommended.

Le massage Amma is practiced in growth and relaxation centers, rehabilitation and health centers, in hospitals and in private practice. The technique is also used in preventive and sports medicine.

The Amma massage is given to a person dressed or covered with a sheet, most often on a massage table. It can also be offered in position seated on a chair specially designed for this purpose. A session generally lasts a little over 1 hour.

When practicing massage in a therapeutic context, the therapist first performs a energy balance of the health of the subject according to the 4 traditional stages of Chinese medicine: by observation, questioning, touch and smell. He examines the tongue, takes pulses, palpates painful areas and masses and notes any information relating to the subject’s physical characteristics (posture, general attitude, vitality), diet and preferences (taste, smell, sound).

During the session, the person massaged is invited to communicate with the therapist only to point out areas of pain and discomfort. The Amma therapist can add to his register several techniques including shiatsu, reflexology, Swedish massage and manipulation of the framework.

The practice of massage Amma can get closer to a choreography as the manipulations, points, rhythm and movements used vary. It is based on the kata, a Japanese term for a specific way of performing an action. Very structured, the katas consist of a series of maneuvers executed in a sequence and rhythm pre-established. Applied to Amma massage, the art of kata consists in finding, with ever more precision, the exact location of each point.

Un massage Butassis can be given in 15 minutes. It is performed in the following order: shoulders, back, neck, hips, arms, hands and head. Its great accessibility and affordable price have made it more and more popular. In France, the practice has spread since 1993, especially in growth and beauty care centers, businesses, hairdressing salons and even in large hotels.

To learn the technique, weekend workshops are offered to the general public. There are also DVDs for learning the basic movements.

In Quebec, training in massage Amma typically spans 150 hours. The technique is part of a 400-hour diploma program in massage therapy practitioner.

In the United States, Tina Sohn’s Amma massage training^3,4 can enroll in an advanced 2-year program. It aims in particular to develop skills allowing to evaluate and diagnose patients according to the principles of oriental medicine.

Mochizuki Shogo. Anma, Art of Japanese Massage. Kotobuki Publications, 1999.

The author presents the approach and the history of the technique accompanied by a hundred photographs, illustrations and examples.

Mochizuki Shogo. Anma, Art of Japanese Massage. Multimedia-Audio. Video.

The video is complementary to the work with the same title. It illustrates the technical aspect and therapeutic applications.

Neuman Tony. The seated massage. The traditional Japanese art of acupressure: Amma. Éditions Jouvence, France, 1999.

This book not only presents the fundamentals and the technique, but also everything a professional needs to know, in the most varied countries and contexts.

Sohn Tina and Robert. Amma Therapy: A Complete Textbook of Oriental Bodywork and Medical Principles. Healing Arts Press, United States, 1996.

Presentation of the principles of Eastern and Western medicine, nutrition and Amma massage that Tina Sohn has revived in the West (techniques, rules of ethics, therapeutic applications).

New York College of Health Professions

The college, founded by Tina Sohn, one of the pioneers of Amma in the West, is a place for training and research in holistic medicine.

www.nycollege.edu

TouchPro Institute

Founded by David Palmer, the TouchPro Institute is a professional association offering chair massage workshops in the United States, Canada and Europe. The section on the history of chair massage is worth a detour.

www.touchpro.org