The Basics of Japanese Massage.

Over the years many different schools of massage have developed, each one displaying a variety of techniques to help people to relax, feel better, and live healthier. At the same time, an interest in medical techniques and theories from Asia has developed in the United States. Because of this, people are giving Chinese and Japanese massage techniques a try. Japanese massage incorporates theories about pressure points and the way energy flows through the body, and uses these ideas along with massage techniques in a philosophy of preventative medicine.

Shiatsu

Shiatsu is perhaps one of the newest forms of Japanese massage, originating in the early 1900s and born out of older techniques. While other massage techniques might use the forearms, elbows, and even the feet to accomplish various healing and relaxing motions on a patient, Shiatsu massage involves techniques using only the fingers and the palm of the hand.

A skilled practitioner of Shiatsu massage can not only relax someone, but can use his sense of touch to explore a person's body and find the points that need treatment the most. Like many Japanese massage and medical techniques, the theory behind Shiatsu massage is to help stimulate the body's natural immune response and ability to relax as a means of preventative medicine.

Nihon Kaifuku Anma

Shiatsu is actually a subset of a larger range of Japanese massage techniques known as Nihon Kaifuku Anma. This form of massage came to Japan over 1300 years ago, and had already been practiced in China for years prior to this.

This Japanese massage school works with deep tissue massage that is based on kneading motions. Unlike Western massage techniques, this Japanese massage technique is performed without the use of massage oils to reduce friction. Two techniques are unique to Anma, and these include kneading the body and the use of percussive techniques, which work by gently striking areas of the body.

The theory behind Anma massage is that the body's energy flows along particular pathways, and stimulating certain areas will influence the workings of the body's organs, leading to greater overall health. These concepts are similar to those used in acupuncture and other Eastern medicines. The purpose of Japanese massage is to help improve the way the body functions before problems show up, not after. This is a common feature in Japanese massage, whether the techniques originated thousands of years ago or merely one hundred years ago. If you want to try preventative medicine with a long history of success and many devotees, give Japanese massage a try.

About The Author:
Ann Marier a prolific writer has written many informative articles on different health resources. Her latest articles examine massage and saunas and their health benefits.

Tags: SHIATSU MASSAGE, SOAPY MASSAGE, SPORTS MASSAGE, SWEDISH MASSAGE, TANTRIC MASSAGE, TECHNIQUES OF MASSAGE, THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE

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The Basics of Japanese Massage.