Health preservation has become a popular keyword for health nowadays. Many people choose Chinese traditional massage to release stress and invigorate meridians, but they don't know that they have been making mistakes. Now, we invite Mr. Liu, the folk traditional massage teacher from Yafei Health Preservation (Pucheng Road Branch), to answer the top ten misconceptions about Chinese traditional massage.
Mr. Liu Wenxue is a senior natural therapist, a traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation therapist, a member of the Chinese Pelvic Association, and a technical instructor at the Jiangsu Modern Traditional Chinese Medicine Massage School. His expertise in therapy includes relieving and treating female physiological pain, insomnia, forgetfulness, migraines, etc.
Question 01: Is the more painful and heavier the massage, the better the effect?
Mr. Liu: Most people have this serious misconception. They think that the more painful the massage, the better the effect. Some even specifically look for therapists with strong strength and heavy techniques. Even if they experience tingling or unbearable pain during the massage, they think it is a sign of being properly massaged. However, in fact, excessive force can damage the muscle fascia and cause numbness over time. I once received a male customer who had his shoulder and neck heavily massaged for a long time, and even with great force, he had no sensation.
Question 02: How can we judge if a massage therapist is reliable and professional?
Mr. Liu: ① Don't pursue excessive force. Massage emphasizes eight words: gentle, penetrating, lasting, and strong.
To judge the effectiveness of a massage, it should not be measured by pain or lack of pain. Generally, when there is local warmth or softness during the massage, slight sweating throughout the body, a flushed face, hiccuping, etc., it indicates that the massage stimulation has reached an effective intensity.
② Don't focus on massaging one area. A good massage therapist will also massage your head and limbs after massaging the requested area, especially the hands and feet, which are very important. Massaging the whole body is necessary for smooth meridians.
Question 03: Should we occasionally use cupping to remove internal dampness?
Mr. Liu: I think girls should not use cupping casually. Cupping drains the body. 9 out of 10 girls have less energy and tend to be deficient in qi, so they should not drain more qi. The relief of pain after cupping is only temporary because it temporarily relaxes the surface muscles. However, cupping also drains yang qi from the body, and it is unnecessary unless there is a deficiency of yang qi. Therefore, after cupping, it is important to use moxibustion to replenish the original qi, as moxibustion is pure yang fire and can replenish pure yuan qi.
Question 04: Can girls receive massages during their menstrual periods? Can it relieve menstrual pain?
Mr. Liu: Girls can still receive massages during their periods! Doing some simple massages on the shoulders, neck, and limbs can actually promote blood circulation. However, the lumbar and sacral region should not be massaged, especially below the fifth lumbar vertebra. Massaging this area can lead to pelvic congestion, aggravating the symptoms of backache. In severe cases, it can cause retrograde menstruation and induce endometriosis and other diseases.
In fact, when experiencing dysmenorrhea, targeting specific acupoints for massage can be very effective, and the pain can be significantly relieved in 3 to 5 minutes. Many girls suffer from dysmenorrhea, and I have had many severe dysmenorrhea patients among my clients. They used to rely on painkillers and brown sugar water, but they never thought that massage could also relieve and cure their symptoms. They were all cured by my acupressure technique.
Question 05: Can massage help with insomnia and frequent mental lapses caused by stress?
Mr. Liu: Nowadays, people are under a lot of stress and often complain about frequent mental lapses. Western medicine emphasizes that people are born with neurons that help the brain think and remember, but neurons cannot regenerate and fatigue of the brain leads to their death. Therefore, head massage can slow down the aging and death of neurons.
I once had a customer who owned an entertainment center. He couldn't remember things from the morning by the afternoon. At first, he came for relaxation and relief. When he came for the fourth time, he told me that his employees hadn't reminded him of trivial matters recently, as if they naturally remembered them. Although we couldn't communicate in the same language, I could feel the joy that came from his relaxed body.
Here's a tip: there is a temporal muscle at the temple. Massaging it can promote active thinking and make you smart and clever.
Question 06: Can pregnant women receive massages?
Mr. Liu: Pregnant women cannot receive massages in the first three months, but they can receive massages in a side-lying position to relieve fatigue after three months, especially in the later stages of pregnancy when some expectant mothers experience swelling and cramps in their legs and feet. Proper massage can bring great relief. However, the strength must be gentle and light, especially for acupoints on the soles of the feet. Massage during pregnancy is popular in foreign countries. Many pregnant women with overseas or foreign study backgrounds regularly schedule massages and even have home massage services.
Question 07: For busy people who can't receive regular massages, what are some 1-minute tips to relieve physical fatigue?
Mr. Liu: Haha, there are quite a few. ① After working with your head down for 1 hour, lift your head up and hold it for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Muscles are like rubber bands; they need to be stretched and held for a while before they bounce back. ② When your eyes are tired from working for a long time, look upward and then downward. Do it 36 times or 99 times. Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the numbers 6 and 9, so the number of repetitions should be in these numbers. ③ Ten minutes of towel exercise before bed: place a towel behind your neck and use both hands to pull and rub the towel against the back of your neck until it feels warm. This will help relax the muscles in your neck.
Question 08: What is the best frequency for massages?
Massages should not be too frequent, and they should not be done immediately when you feel sore. In the acute stage of pain, especially when there is obvious local tissue redness and swelling, it is best not to receive massages. For leisure and health massages, once a week is enough, and it is important to exercise regularly. For therapeutic massages, follow the specific guidance of a professional therapist.
Question 09: Do you have any memorable customers?
Mr. Liu: I have been in this business for twelve years and have received many customers with various types of pain and discomfort.
There was a funny foreign customer who couldn't speak Chinese. The first time he came, he pointed at the clock and gestured with his hands and feet. It took me a while to understand that he was saying he couldn't sleep well. He would go to bed at 12 o'clock and wake up at 4 o'clock in the morning. So I gave him a head massage, and the second time he came, he pointed at the clock and gestured again. He could sleep until 8 o'clock now. Although we couldn't communicate in the same language, I could feel the joy that came from his relaxed body.
Question 10: So, can insomnia be treated through massage?
Mr. Liu: Sleep is controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system. When muscles are tense and compress it, insomnia occurs. By relieving muscle tension through massage, the parasympathetic nervous system can work normally again, thereby improving sleep quality. However, there are many causes of insomnia, and generally, the effect of a single massage can only last for 1-2 days at most. Massage therapy for insomnia requires long-term treatment and is better combined with dietary therapy.
