Tuina is a massage form from China that is part of our training as acupuncture practitioners. It is a deep tissue massage that uses several different techniques (rolling, scrubbing, and grasping to name a few). The techniques are the same, but practitioners can use stronger or a gentler movements according the patient preference. Tuina is used for sports injuries, repetitive motion pain, back and shoulder pain, knee and elbow pain, and even hernias. “Tui” means pushing, and “Na” means grasping. Tuina is a form of massage used by Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners that is closer to a deep-tissue massage than Shiatsu. It is used in order to help relax the tendons and muscles, while opening the channels that flow through the body. Tuina is helpful with increasing blood circulation to alleviate pain, relieving muscle spasms, and gently breaking up adhesions in the muscles and scar tissue.
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