Research and Advance of Chinese Tuina

Article by Tuinamassage

Ever since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, tuina medicine has entered an overall new developing period. The main achievements of tuina study and advance in this period were embodied in the following five aspects.

Firstly, ancient books on tuina were excavated and sorted out, and a lot of new works on tuina were published. Besides the ancient books sorted out and published again, which were mostly specialized treatises on infantile tuina, in this period there were restricted publications Erzhi Dingchan (Fixed Two-finger Meditation), Yizhi Yangchun ( One-finger Spring Season ), etc., which made contributions to the excavation of ancient medical tuina books. New works on tuina included the following kinds: ? Popular literatures which are of combination of basic theories with clinical knowledge. ? Books in the form of clinical specialities. ? Books which are of characteristic of schools or unique experience. ?Specific treatises on manipulations or exercises. ? Great complete works. Among them were Zhongguo Anmo Daquan (the Complete works of Chinese Anmo), Zhongguo Tuina (Chinese Tuina), Zhonghua Tuina Dacheng (the Great Collection of Chinese Tuina), and Tuina Dacheng ( the Great Collection of Tuina ) , etc. A general survey showed that all the works had the common features of the enhancement of science and logic of tuina, the breakthrough in tuina principle, the increase of proofs of modern researches and the combination of treatment of diseases with diagnostic and anatomic knowledge of Western medicine.

Secondly, the practice and summarization of clinical experience of tuina became more scientific day by day. The progress of science and culture and the development of health and medicine made tuina practice more scientific. The accumulated rich experience in practice and the education of modern medical knowledge raised the quality of massagists greatly. For example, diagnosis of tuina was no longer confined to the traditional four diagnostic methods. Many massagists have commanded modern medical techniques such as X-ray examination, ultrasonic scanning, electromyographic examination, CT examination and nuclear magnetic resonance. In treatment sectarian bias were gradually thrown away. Massagists have mastered a set of theories of treatment based on syndrome differentiation. They are able to select and employ the best ones from the principles, methods, prescriptions and techniques. Thousands of theses on tuina have been published in many sorts of periodicals of China, which summed up tuina therapy from all respects scientifically and offered an important guide to tuina clinic.

Thirdly, the teaching system of tuina has been improving day by day. Since Shanghai Health School started a tuina training class in October, 1956, tuina teaching has gone out of the old master-apprentice mode and has been on the way of formal education. Since the late 1970s, and early 1980s, all the TCM colleges in China have organized tuina speciality one after another and consummated the educational system of tuina subject including professional training, undergraduate, postgraduate, doctorate and international education, which have trained quite a lot of advanced specialists on tuina. Tuina teaching activities have been carried out at all TCM colleges of China and the foreign exchanges has greatly increased. Textbooks of tuina have also possessed different styles and different levels. With the development of tuina subject, tuina teaching has divided into different courses: basic tuina, tuina therapy, tuina manipulation, tuina exercise training, and infantile tuina, etc.[page_break]

Fourthly, scientific researches into tuina has been advancing rapidly. Since the 1950s scientific researchers on tuina have conducted extensive clinical and experimental studies of the functional mechanism of tuina by means of modern scientific and medical knowledge and made exciting progress. For instance, the gate control theory in neurophysiology was employed to successfully explain the analgesic principle of tuina. It was deduced that the distinct changes of circulating speed of blood and lymph-vascular fluid before and after tuina manipulations might be one of action principles of eliminating swelling and blood stasis with tuina. It was also demonstrated that lowering blood pressure by tuina had a stable effect, the contents of 5-HT in the blood increased after tuina treatment and the therapy of nipping the spine apparently promoted the absorption of the small intestine.

Finally, many new tuina therapies have been summed up and created such as ear point tuina, foot point tuina, the second metacarpal bone tuina, sports tuina and anaesthesia by tuina. In a word, today’s China is in the unprecedented golden age in the history of tuina. There appears a flourishing situation in tuina practice, teaching, scientific research, publication of works and periodicals and the construction of tuina practitioners.

How to Learn Chinese TuinaChinese Tuina is a clinical subject of TCM with intensive theory and practice. Tuina doctor should not only have the basic knowledge of Chinese and Western medicine, understand the methods of diagnosis and treatment based on syndrome differentiation, have specialized in theoretical knowledge of tuina, but also possess a good physical constitution and proficient manipulation techniques for clinical practice. So in addition to the study of elementary theories of Chinese and Western medicine, the students of tuina speciality must systematically study tuina courses and carry out strict constitutional physical exercise and technical training in manipulation.

In respect of medical elementary theories, the study of TCM theories of yin-yang, five elements, zang-fu organs, meridians, wei, qi, ying, and blood, cause and mechanism of diseases, four diagnostic methods and eight principles, differentiating syndrome to

decide treatment and the study of anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, pathoanatomy and physical diagnosis of Western medicine should be put at the first place. Anatomic structure of the human body. athletic physiology, neural segments, circuIation of the fourteen meridians, location and function of commonly used points have great practical value in tuina practice. Students should especially master them.

In professional technical training students should first do the cornmon exercises hard with the methods introduced in the section of Tuina Liangong of this book step by step. During the exercise beth the training of physical constitution including strength, endurance, pliability and toughness and the cultivation of psychological quality should be devoted to. That means while building up one’sphysique, one should deveIop indomitable willpower and quality to bear hardships and stand strenuous work so as to lay a good foundation for the long-termtuina practice in future. Next, under the guidance of teachers, one should seriously learn and practice all kinds of manipulations introduced in this book, fully and strictly accomplish the training in the three elementary stages, which refer to training on a sand sack, training on the human body and training of manipulations in treating commonly encountered diseasesdiseases. Furthermore, one should study carefully the parts of tuina therapy in this book and combine them with frequent clinical practice so as to improve the result of study.

Generally speaking, after a period of conscientious training, for those with some knowledge of medical science, it is not too hard to cross the threshold of tuinatuina within a short period of time. But it is difficult to come up to professional standards, particularly hard to gain a perfect command and serviceable application of some tectmically difficult manipulations such as pushing manipulation with one finger meditation, rolling manipulation in clinic. So a long period of special training is the only approach to reach the realm–once in clinic, while you massage the exterior of the body, effect can produce in the interior.Your hands manipulate along with the mind’s meditation and curative therapy comes out of your excellent manipulations, as stated in Yizongjinjian (Golden Mirror of Medicine ).