Tui na is Chinese therapeutic bodywork. It uses the same map of the body as acupuncture, so the practitioner is working the muscle and the meridian at the same time.
This is why a tui na session for shoulder pain may include work on the forearm, and why patients often report that their sleep or digestion improved alongside the original complaint.
Alongside releasing tight muscle, point and meridian work addresses the effects of poor circulation elsewhere in the body, such as cold hands and feet, broken sleep, bloating and persistent tiredness. Swedish massage focuses on local soft tissue.
Tui na uses rolling, pressing and kneading techniques along with mobilizing and bone-setting methods. These address small-joint tension in the neck and lower back that muscle work alone does not reach. Swedish massage does not generally include joint adjustment.
We assess your constitution first. A depleted patient receives lighter, warmer, slower technique. A patient with a strong constitution and stubborn adhesions receives focused, deeper work. Swedish massage is largely the same sequence for everyone, varied by pressure preference.
Pediatric tui na treats appetite, digestion, sleep and immunity in children. Western massage has no equivalent.
Sessions run 30, 45, 60, 90 or 120 minutes. You stay clothed in loose clothing, or are draped, depending on the area being treated. Pressure is firm and purposeful. It can be intense over a stubborn knot, but it should not be something you need to brace against. Tell us and we will adjust.
Tui na is often combined with cupping, gua sha or moxibustion in the same visit.
Let us know if you have osteoporosis, take blood thinners, are pregnant, or have had recent surgery or a fracture. Technique is modified or avoided accordingly. Pain that has not been investigated should be seen by a physician first.
New patients start with a consultation of 60 or 90 minutes.
Book an appointment New patients start with a consultation