“Everything embodies yin and embraces yang. Through blending their Qi, they attain harmony.”
— LAOZI 老子, DAO DE JING 道德經
TuiNa is a therapeutic massage that has been used in China for more than 5000 years. It is one of the four main branches of Chinese Medicine, along with Acupuncture, QiGong and Chinese Herbal Medicine. This type of massage, rooted in Chinese Medicine principles, aims to improve blood circulation, relax muscle tension, and improve lymphatic circulation by applying rhythmic hand techniques along the energy pathways in the body, usually referred as channels or meridians. TuiNa massage is a recommended prenatal massage method because it can address many common discomforts associated with musculoskeletal and circulatory changes brought on by hormone shifts, but also by the change in body structure during pregnancy.
Tuina can also help counteract the negative effects of stress and help the baby to be healthy and happy. Essentially, If the massage is beneficial to the mother, the baby will receive the benefits too. Women can begin massage therapy at any point in their pregnancy and the massage should be performed by a qualified practitioner to be considered a safe and healing therapy.
Since TuiNa can be very flexible in its approach, some people differentiate a type of ‘Yang TuiNa’ (more invigorating, developed in the cold northern part of China) and a ‘Yin TuiNa’, (much softer, developed in the hot southern part of China and the type of approach we use for end of life support, or very chronic and debilitating conditions such as MS, ME, Cancer…)
Although, both approaches can be applied to a wide range of ailments, each style has its own particular strengths and the potential to affect the energy in different ways.
Thus, even the categories above are a bit artificial and one must see this as a continuum of possibilities where one picks the appropriate treatment principles to match the specific person at a specific time.
In the case of pregnancy, as a general rule, we do not treat the abdomen and lower back until the 5th month. After this time, we gently work on the lower back with the patient laying on her side. Throughout pregnancy, we use techniques that are on the softer side (‘Yin TuiNa’); keeping all the benefits and goodness from TuiNa but making it suitable for the mother and the baby.
On the other hand, TuiNa postpartum positively influences psychophysical balance as well as supporting the body in healing and recovering from the demanding process of pregnancy (water retention, pains, fatigue, digestive upset…), making this type of treatment a comprehensive and safe therapy to chose after birth.
References:
Sarah Pritchard. Tui Na A Manual of Chinese Massage Therapy. Singing Dragon. 2015