Shiatsu
Shiatsu Massage – What Is It?
Shiatsu is a form of Chinese acupressure massage in Japanese style. In other words, shiatsu is a specific version of acupressure massage developed in Japan. An oriental massage method in which pressure is applied to specific points on the body with the fingers to reduce pain, tension, fatigue and illness. (Ohashi)
It is also called touch communication, because successful treatment depends not only on the correct technique, but also on the appropriate flow of psychic communication. Like Zen, a flow of psychic communication is established with the person receiving shiatsu during the treatment. The word shiatsu literally means “finger pressure”.
Its roots go back to thousands of years of Chinese healing. The name shiatsu comes from the 20th century and is associated with the name of Tokujiro Namikoshi. He founded the first shiatsu institute in Hokkaido around 1920. In Europe, the so-called Zen-shiatsu is used, which was founded by Shizuto Masunaga (1925-1981), a former student of Namikoshi.
Its goal: to create physical and mental harmony and balance.
Shiatsu does not use any tools. The most important accessory is a mat at the treatment site. Basically, it involves the treatment of acupressure points (tsubo points), massage strokes. The treatment itself is done lying on a mattress on the floor or sitting. The patient is treated in clothing (preferably cotton clothing) and the entire body is covered.
Application area: like other oriental massage systems, so it is recommended for musculoskeletal, internal medicine, and nervous system diseases. However, it is worth highlighting some civilization diseases:
- lumbar and sacral problems
- stiff hips, knee pain
- neck pain, headaches, migraines can be well relieved with some shiatsu treatments
- constipation, bloating, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) According to the Eastern view, these can be traced back to the disturbed energy balance of the colon.