Tuina, an ancient type of Chinese manual treatment

Tuina (tui na) also called Tui na massage or naprapathy is an ancient type of Chinese manual treatment often used in conjunction with qigong, tai chi, herbal medicine, cupping, moxibustion, and acupuncture. Tui na is a type of body therapy that applies martial arts and Chinese Taoist philosophy in order to bring into balance traditional Chinese medicine’s eight principles: yin and yang, deficiency and excess, external and internal, and cold and heat. The procedure involves rubbing, pressing/rolling, kneading, and brushing by the practitioner of the areas called the eight gates, which are the parts between each of the joints to open the defensive energy of the body (called wei chi) and promote the movement of vital energy (chi) in the muscles and meridians. The practitioner can then stimulate the acupressure points through the use of massage, traction, and range of motion; this method is believed to help treat both acute and chronic conditions involving the musculoskeletal as well as non-musculoskeletal systems.

A vital component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Tui na is part of the curriculum taught in TCM schools. In East Asia, several martial arts schools offer tui na courses to their advanced students for the management and treatment of pain and injury incurred from training. Each school has its own way of teaching this discipline, as with many other traditional Chinese medical practices. It is also related to anma or Chinese massage.

Thousands of years ago in China, medical treatment was usually categorized as either "external" or "internal" therapy. One of the external therapies was Tui na which was considered to be particularly suited for use on infants and the elderly. Now, it is further divided into specified therapies for sports medicine, rehabilitation, cosmetology, infants, adults, orthopedics, traumatology, etc.

A Typical Session of Tui na Therapy
Wear clothes that are loose fitting when you come in for treatment. You may be told to sit on a table, couch or chair. You will be asked a chain of questions by the practitioner, then depending on your answers to the questions, treatment will commence.

Practitioners of Tuina may utilize different procedures to obtain their goal. Manipulation, acupressure, and soft tissue massage are the procedures most commonly used. To augment the effects of these procedures, sometimes, the practitioner may also use heat, ointments, liniments, and herbal compresses.

Health Issues and Contraindications
Disorders of the respiratory and/or digestive systems associated with stress as well as chronic pain are some of the conditions in which Tuina therapy is at its most effective. When it comes to ailments, this therapy is works extremely well in relieving tennis elbow, sciatica, back pain, shoulder pain, and neck pain. But since tuina is meant to restore or boost the movement of chi, it usually brings about extra health benefits to the entire body, not just to a certain area. Anecdotal proofs exist that tuina can be an effective way to treat certain emotional problems, premenstrual symptoms (PMS), 

constipation, and headaches.

Tuina is not a treatment designed to relax tor sedate a person since it is one of the most intense and specific types of bodywork around. A tuina healer administers a type of massage that can be quite vigorous; in fact, in their first treatment, some patients may feel soreness in the areas of treatment. Interestingly, there are patients who actually feel euphoria or sleepy during and after a session.

As with all types of therapy, there are cases in which tuina therapy should not be used. It should not be administered on people with open wounds, skin problems, infectious diseases, fractures, or osteoporosis.