Tui Na is an energetic massage that is part of the 5 branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In this sheet, you will discover this massage in more detail, its principles, its techniques, its history, its benefits, who practices it, how a session takes place, how to become a therapist and finally, what are its contraindications.

Tui Na massage is a Chinese therapeutic massage. Tui means “to push” and Na means “to grab”. These are the 2 types of manipulations most commonly used in this massage. It sometimes happens that the term Anmo, meaning “to press” (an) and “to rub” (mo), is connected to the word Tui Na, because these 2 movements are also at the origin of the approach.

The main principles

Tui Na massage differs from Western massage techniques, above all because of the energy concept on which it is based (harmonization of Qi), but also because of the multiplicity of types of manipulations. Indeed, the practitioner uses a wide variety of techniques varying according to the areas to be treated, the type of imbalance, the age and the constitution of the individual. The therapist therefore relies on more than 300 different manipulations, rigorously classified according to their form, their strength and their function. He usually performs them with his upper limbs (fingers, palm, hand, wrist, forearm or elbow), but sometimes he uses his knees, feet, or even his skull. According to our Western criteria, the Tui Na would be classified in the category of rather dynamic massages.

Tui Na massage techniques

Tui Na massage consists of several specific techniques. Here are the main ones.

• ? Coil to treat soft tissue and joint and muscle damage.
• Digipuncture (or acupressure) which proceeds by stimulating acupuncture points to treat internal diseases.
• The Nei Gung method advocating the practice of energy exercises and massage techniques aimed at revitalizing the body.
• Manipulations applying to the musculoskeletal system to treat joint disorders and nerve pain.

The place of Tui Na massage in Chinese medicine

Tui Na massage is, along with acupuncture, Chinese dietetics, Chinese pharmacopoeia and energy exercises (Qi Gong and tai chi), one of the 5 branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It is therefore based on the vision that is both “energetic” and very practical which is specific to TCM and which is presented in the Traditional Chinese Medicine sheet.

In China, the fields of application of Tui Na massage are multiple. It is used for preventive and therapeutic purposes in both adults and children. It is difficult to comment on the effectiveness of Tui Na massage at this time as most clinical trials have not been translated. However, some research has highlighted some benefits of this massage, but they remain inconclusive.

Alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

In a 2006 study, 23 patients with Parkinson’s disease received a combination of Tui Na massage and acupuncture, once a week for 1 months. Although a few patients reported positive changes in the assessment of disease symptoms, on a few occasions during the treatment period no significant improvement was observed after 6 months.

Decrease pain associated with fibromyalgia

A randomized clinical trial carried out in 2007 with 33 patients suffering from fibromyalgia highlighted some positive effects of this massage. In this study, the participants were divided into two groups: the participants of the first group received 8 sessions of 50 minutes of yoga ending with 15 minutes of Tui Na massage while for the others, the massage was replaced by a period of relaxation. A decrease in pain was observed in both groups during the 2 weeks of treatment. However, these effects were not maintained after stopping treatment, 8 to 4 weeks later.

Improve dizziness associated with cervical osteoarthritis

In 2008, a journal on cervical spondylosis was published in English, based on articles originally written in Chinese. The 7 studies included mainly focused on the intensity of headaches and dizziness. The conclusions show that the Tui Nan massage brings no benefit in the treatment of headaches and very mixed results with regard to dizziness.

Relieve symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea

In a 2008 study, 30 individuals were treated with acupuncture combined with Tui Na massage and the remaining 30 were treated with acupuncture alone. The results showed that when acupuncture is combined with Tui Na massage, it offered better prospects for treating primary dysmenorrhea than without Tui Na massage.

Contribute to the treatment of cervical radiculopathy

A recent study carried out in 2017 suggests that Tui Na massage alone could be useful for patients with cervical radiculopathy since it would lead to less pain.

The specialist

In Quebec, to our knowledge, there are no therapists who exclusively practice Tui Na. But we find more and more practitioners who use it with other disciplines of Traditional Chinese Medicine (acupuncture, medicinal herbs, Qi Gong, dietetics) or in addition to Western manual techniques, such as Swedish massage and reflexology. .

Course of a session

A Tui Na session usually lasts 30 minutes to 1 hour. The person is dressed, sitting or lying on a table. The masseur will ask the future masseur what his problem is. Depending on the needs of the masseur, the masseur will use various techniques and will massage more or less heavily.

Even though it is a complex technique, the main basic manipulations are relatively simple. You can learn them yourself by consulting books or DVDs on the subject

Become a practitioner

In China, Tui Na is a discipline taught in universities. Although the theoretical aspect is quite thorough, its learning is essentially based on practice.

In Quebec, there is no training program strictly dedicated to Chinese massage. Many of the therapists in Tui Na learned it during an internship in China or from a therapist who was trained on the Asian continent. In the rest of Canada (especially Ontario and British Columbia), various schools offer Tui Na training as part of general Traditional Chinese Medicine courses.

So far, it is the European schools that have developed content that most closely resembles the training offered in China. For example, the Higher Institute of Chinese Medicine4 in Switzerland offers university-type training. The program teaches meridian theory and fundamental Tui Na techniques.

Contraindications of Tui Na massage

Like many massages, Tui Na massage is not recommended for injuries, fever, infection or the presence of bruises on the body. With regard to pregnant women, it is contraindicated to massage certain specific points, in particular the San Yin Jiao point, located between the kidney and the spleen. If you suffer from circulation disorders (heart problems, phlebitis) and you wish to have a massage, it is imperative to seek the advice of your doctor beforehand.

Tui Na has been part of Chinese culture for millennia. Inscriptions found on turtle bones and shells reveal that it was used to treat children and digestive disorders in adults. It was banned during the communist revolution, from 1911 to 1949. A large number of writings then disappeared and it is the popular layers who maintained the practice. In 1949, with the advent of the People’s Republic of China, Tui Na was reinstated with the other disciplines of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In 1950, the first Tui Na training program was established; it lasted 2 years. Since 1974, teaching lasts 5 years.

In the West, Tui Na is probably the least known branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In Quebec, Bernard Côté, a great specialist in Chinese medicine who died in 2001, taught Tui Na from the 1980s.