What is Ancient Chinese Massage & Why is it Recommended by Your Masseuse?

The use of massage for therapy and medication could be traced back to about 2,000 years ago. A good deal of ancient civilizations in the world such as in Egypt, China, and India shows (written) evidence that this practice has been a part of their culture since thousands of years back. Through the years, massage has been developed and is presently being performed for different purposes including treatment of pain, relaxation, or simply for the luxury. Different forms have also been created to categorize each as determined by the techniques used so people can easily select which one suits them best.

Amongst the many forms of massage that exist today, the ancient Chinese massage remains to be one of the most recommended by a masseuse and this article will give you all the reasons why.

What are the Benefits of a Chinese Massage?

Each massage has its own benefits and advantages. A typical Chinese massage is not composed with the intention to pamper or to promote relaxation; instead, it was formulated to treat the body as a whole not only physically, but also emotionally and spiritually. A few of its benefits include:

1. It speeds up the healing of our injuries, bruises, and relieves muscle and chronic pain. One of the reasons why we look forward to getting a massage is to relieve pain. Chinese massage therapy is perfectly designed to provide pain relief from sore and injured muscles. Their methods improve our blood flow to different areas which greatly improves our health and gets rid of lactic acid buildups. Too much lactic acid in the body can cause muscle pain and a burning sensation, giving us the signal to stop what we are doing and to take a rest. Unfortunately, we can not always stop what we are doing, especially if we are at work. That’s why it is important to get a massage every once in a while to break down these lactic acid buildups and relief us from pain. Chinese massage also helps in stimulating our blood circulation and boosting the blood flow and circulation to various pressure points in our body will promote healing and accelerate recovery. A study in the “Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine” conducted in September of 2010 has revealed that massage therapy is able to help in the enhancement of muscle repair and recovery.

2. It eases depression, stress, and other emotional distress. Both the body and the mind are of the same importance in Chinese medicine as they believe that the physical condition is directly related to the psychological one. A pain, may it be physical or emotional, greatly affects a person’s “qi,” which is the Chinese term for our life force and energy. Acupuncture (one of the four main branches of traditional Chinese medicine) is performed by using precise points on our body that are deemed to correspond with certain organs and our nervous system and by stimulating these points, our brain is being calmed. That’s why in relation to this, concentrating on the healing of our body as a whole is of great importance for people with depression, given that its causes can be either or both physical and emotional. A review of studies made in 2015 concluded that tuina massage, which is another one of the four main branches of traditional Chinese medicine and is believed to be the oldest system of bodywork, has a curative effect on depression. It was shown to be actually significantly more effective in reducing depression compared to other conventional forms of treatment.

3. Improves the quality of our life. Our health greatly affects the quality of our life. Chinese massage has been studied and proven to be effective in relieving pains and improving the following:

• Relieving symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome, stomach discomfort (particularly when combined with acupuncture), alleviating symptoms of osteoarthritis, and treating lower back pains (especially when paired with core exercises during treatment).
• Improves function and reduce the pain that affects our joints, bones, and muscles. (There was a review and meta-analysis conducted in 2017 that determines the effectiveness of Chinese massage in treating musculoskeletal disorders which shows that this technique is more effective in relieving pain compared to traction, medication, and physical therapies.)
• Being used to boost postpartum lactation. As a mother, being able to produce enough milk for your newborn is one of the best things that can ever happen. Aside from the financial convenience it provides, it also allows mothers to recover faster after giving birth while the baby is receiving the best milk he or she could ever have. A study in 2012 showed that new mothers are able to produce greater quantities of milk in a faster manner when they received Chinese massage compared to those who did not.

Though additional and more extensive researches are needed to further support the said benefits of Chinese massage, customers who receive the treatment on a regular basis can actually feel these effects.

Chinese massage is not something that is performed by just any therapist. In China itself, massage is something that is treated as alternative medicine and is actually a part of the curriculum of traditional Chinese schools of medicine. With this being said, practitioners are required to pass meticulous examinations and government licensing procedures before setting up their practices.

In the Philippines, a couple of spas offer different kinds of Chinese massage. One of the best spas that specialize in Chinese practice in the country is Breeze Oriental Spa and Massage, which is located in BGC. Their therapists are extensively trained by experts from China and are sure to deliver only the best service there is. Make sure you visit it as soon as you have the time to do so.