I. Introduction
The treatment that acts on the skin and muscle of the body technically by hands and fingers is called massage.
According to Records of the Historian in China, Bianque, a famous physician in Qin Dynasty (221-206BC), had cured Prince Guo's Shi Jue Zheng (deathlike faint disease) by using massage. From the Qin Dynasty till now, massage has had a history of more than two thousand years. The oldest monograph on massage should be the Yellow Emperor's Canon of Massage (in ten volumes), but it's a pity that the book had lost. Massage was also mentioned in the Yellow Emperor's Internal Canon of Medicine. In ancient times, Chinese was able to treat various diseases with massage, such as limb paralysis, debility, faint, moist disease, chill and fever, etc.
There are so many advantages of massage, for example, it is easy to learn, convenient to practice, economical, and an alternative for medicine as well. Massage plays a role of analeptic as well as sedative, respectively, for it can either make people refreshed or calm down.
It is relatively safe for general chronic diseases or overly weak patients, because massage is propitious to circulation and metabolism. As to children who are inconvenient to take medicine, massage could boost up the constitution and function of the children's body. Regarding some complicated diseases, this method could be used cooperatively with acupuncture and medication. However, as to some acute or hyperpyretic infections, or organs having pathological changes such as typhoid, pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis and so on, massage only has supporting effects. Patients having serious or acute diseases such as tumor, acute suppurative appendicitis, intestinal perforation, cholecystitis due to bilis duct ascarid etc. should get nosocomial first aid. It is relatively safe for general chronic diseases or overly weak patients, because massage is propitious to circulation and metabolism.
As to children who are inconvenient to take medicine, massage could boost up the constitution and function of the children's body. Regarding some complicated diseases, this method could be used cooperatively with acupuncture and medication. However, as to some acute or hyperpyretic infections, or organs having pathological changes such as typhoid, pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis and so on, massage only has supporting effects. Patients having serious or acute diseases such as tumor, acute suppurative appendicitis, intestinal perforation, cholecystitis due to bilis duct ascarid etc. should get nosocomial first aid.
II. Indications and Contraindications of MassageIndications
Wrick, joint disarticulation, strain of lumbar muscles, amyotrophy, migraine, fore and back headache, trifacial neuralgia, inter-rib neuralgia, femoral neuralgia, sciatica, waist & back neuralgia, arthralgia (including shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, ankle, toe); facial neural paralysis, facial muscle spasm, gastrocnemius spasm; muscle pain due to rheumatism, including muscle pain inshoulder, back, waist, knee, etc., as well as acute or chronic rheumatic arthritis, gall of joint synovium, ankylosis, etc.
Other indications include neurogenic vomiting, dyspepsia, habitual constipation, gastroptosis, chronic gastritis, insomnia, spermatorrhea, dysmenorrhea and neurosis as well, all of which can be treated through massaging.
Contraindications
Various acute infections, acute osteomyelitis, tuberculous arthritis, infective dermatosis, eczema, scald by water or fire, cutaneous ulcer, tumor and all kinds of sore, as well as menses and pregnancy of more than five months, acute peritonitis, acute purulent peritonitis, acute appendicitis, weakness because of long-term sickness or senility and serious cardiovascular disease.
III. Categories and Techniques
The massage is usually classed into two categories. One is called active massage or self-massage, which is a method of health care by massaging oneself. The other is passive massage, which is used by doctors as massage therapy. The frequently used techniques of massage include pressing, rubbing, bunting, seizing, kneading, pinching, quivering and beating. However, the above techniques are not used alone but usually cooperatively.
Pressing
The pressing is fingertip or fingerplate rising and falling rhythmically on proper position of the patient's body, which usually can be done by one hand or both hands.
Generally, one-hand or two-hand pressing is applied below ribs or on abdomen in clinic. While on back or other muscle-thick parts, one-hand pressing with added pressure is applied, that is, the right hand presses the finger back of the left hand placing on the body with gentle strength and vice versa.
Rubbing
Rubbing means touching -- touching softly on the proper part of the patient's body with the finger or palm, which is often used cooperatively with pressing and bunting. There are one-hand rubbing used for upper limbs and the shoulder end, and two-hand rubbing used for the chest.
Beating
Beating is also called knocking, which is usually applied after kneading and rubbing. It can also be carried out alone when necessary.
When carrying out beating, the strength must be well-situated. Only suitable application could relax the patient, otherwise it will result in uncomfortable experience. Generally, both hands are used when beating, and the frequently used methods are side-palm chopping, flat-palm patting, across fist knocking and upright fist knocking, etc.
1. Side-Palm Chopping
Both palms Stand side to side, with the thumb upward and the little finger downward. Moreover fingers should have about one centimeter distance from each other. Following the fall of palms with shut fingers, raise hands with separate fingers. Raise and lay down both hands in turn.
2. Flat-Palm Patting
Put both palms on the muscle, and tap rhythmically in turn.
3. Across Fist-Knocking
Make a fist with hand-back upward and thumbs against each other, moreover loose with a little space between fingers and the palm. Knock across with both fists in turn. This method is usually used on muscle-rich parts, such as waist, leg and shoulder.
4. Upright Fist Knocking
Make an upright fist with thumb upside and little finger downside. Loose with a little space between fingers and the palm. This is usually used on the back and the waist. Four methods of beating mentioned above are mostly utilized on muscle-rich parts, e.g. neck, shoulder, back, waist, thigh and crus.
Knock gently at first, put on some force slowly, and then lose force gradually. The force here will never be extremely heavy. Anyhow, it is the most important to make patients feel comfortable. As to the speed of beating, it should be generally slow at the beginning and then fast. Two times per second at the beginning, and gradually increase to six or eight times per second.
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