Acupressure

There are actually many different types of manual therapy that fall in the category of Asian body work. Acupressure most simply is the use of manual pressure on specific acupuncture points.

Acupressure can be used effectively in treating pain, relieving stress and boosting the immune system.

The Japanese technique of shiatsu utilizes acupressure points but in a more moving style, working along acupuncture channels vigorously, noting and emphasizing sensitive points along the way, which are called “tsubos”.

The Jin Shin style of acupressure spends more time on individual points, combining simultaneous points to enhance the natural circuitry of the body. In this style the practitioner will wait for the sensation of qi, and in doing so becomes part of the “cable” through which the energy flows.

Tuina is perhaps the broadest category of Asian body work, and can be translated from the Chinese as “push squeeze”, which is another way of saying massage. Tuina is discussed from the earliest beginnings of Chinese medicine, and to this day is widely practiced in China as a primary healing modality.