The History Of Massage Therapy & Acupuncture
History of Massage Therapy
There is a history of massage linked to almost every civilization known to man. Human touch is key to survival for our species and over the last two decades the evolution of massage therapy and the wellness industry globally has grown to include every generation and demographic. Discerning individuals have come to rely on the high quality and diverse care a Registered Massage Therapist can provide.
From conception, babies are massaged through their pregnant mother’s bellies. Pregnant mothers receive the therapeutic benefits of massage and they in turn pass on the benefits of touch to their little ones through infant massage. Children of all ages receive massage and care for their growing pains, postural and breathing problems to name a few. High School and University students under physical stress from studies and mental stress of exams find relief from regular back, neck and shoulder massage. Working parents and people suffering from headaches, back, neck and shoulder pain seek relief from a Registered Massage Therapist. Aging individuals with chronic symptoms of joint stiffness, musculoskeletal pain, arthritis and disc degeneration very commonly seek the services of a Registered Massage Therapist.
Baby boomers striving for better health and higher performance levels at work and at play need support and education to keep the well oiled machine running efficiently and optimally. Disease, injury, trauma and rehabilitation are many reasons why people of all ages seek the therapeutic results and support of a Registered Massage Therapist. As the population grows older palliative care and persons with mobility issues are being added to the list of individuals that benefit. Reliable professional care at home from a ViVi Therapist can extend quality of life and provide physical comfort unavailable elsewhere.
ViVi Therapy combines education and knowledge with therapeutic services for your benefit. We are the health care practitioners of the future. Health maintenance, balanced lifestyles, wellness education and mobility are key components of what we offer our clients. Every generation has specific needs that can be supported by the services of a Registered Massage Therapist. You can now learn to massage your family and loved ones by taking one of our popular learn to massage lessons. Book an appointment here today or contact us.
History of Acupuncture
The history of Acupuncture is a tough one to cover. We like this source from a fellow named Jon Fishman. Not the whole article but the highlights we hope will inform you in an unbiased way. The Chinese healing art of acupuncture is one that can be dated back at least two thousand years. Some authorities maintain that acupuncture has been practiced in China for even four thousand years. Though its exact age is vague, what is certain is that up until the recent twentieth century, much of the population of the world was uninformed about acupuncture, its origins, and its capacity to promote and maintain good health. Even today in relatively “advanced” nations such as ours there are many who hold acupuncture under the stereotype of a new or radical medicine, one which would almost always be a second choice after more familiar Western approaches to handling illness. Following a brief synopsis of the theory of acupuncture, the following text will, to a limited extent, highlight the vast history of this ancient medicine and assert that it is neither new nor radical.
THEORY
One of the most important concepts of Chinese medicine is that of natural balance. From this idea of balance arises the fundamental theory of yin and yang. According to this theory, life takes place in the alternating rhythm of yin and yang.
Day gives way to night, night to day; a time of light and activity (Yang) is followed by darkness and rest (Yin). Flowers open and close, the moon waxes and wanes, the tides come in and go out; we wake and sleep, breathe in, breathe out. Yin/Yang is a constant, continual flow through which everything is expressed on the one hand and recharged on the other. They are an inseparable couple. Their proper relationship is health; a disturbance in this relationship is disease.
The paradoxical nature of yin and yang is further illustrated in an excerpt from the Huang Di Nei Jing, or “The Yellow Emperor’s Canon of Internal Medicine,” which is considered to be the best known and earliest of Chinese medical texts:
Yang has its root in Yin
Yin has its root in Yang.
Without Yin, Yang cannot arise.
Without Yang, Yin cannot be born.
Yin alone cannot arise; Yang alone cannot grow.
Yin and Yang are divisible but inseparable. (Acupuncture, p. 58)
The well-known symbol of the yin-yang further demonstrates that nothing is pure Yin or pure Yang; black and white embrace and intertwine in perfect symmetry, each side containing a small seed of its opposite. The conclusion drawn from this theory is that good health entails the balance and harmony of all that is yin and all that is yang within the body.
When such a proper balance of forces exists, the body has achieved a healthy circulation of the life force qi (“chee”). In Chinese medicine it is theorized that the human body, as well as every other living thing, has a natural flow of qi throughout it. Qi is said to travel the body along channels called “meridians,” of which there are mainly fourteen. Qi flows constantly up and down these pathways, and when the flow of qi is insufficient, unbalanced, or interrupted, yin and yang become unbalanced, and illness may occur. An understanding of the relationship between the body, yin and yang, and qi is necessary to understand the utility of acupuncture.
On the most basic of levels, acupuncture can be described as the insertion of very fine needles (sometimes in combination with electrical stimulus or with heat produced by burning specific herbs, called Moxibustion) into the skin at specific acupuncture points in order to influence the functioning of the body. Traditionally, there are 365 acupoints on the body, most of which have a specific energetic function. Some are the meeting of meridian pathways while others are junctions with an internal pathway of the meridian. Some points tend to move qi towards the interior of the body while others bring energy to the surface. The choice of acupuncture points varies from patient to patient and from treatment to treatment and relies on very careful diagnoses of different kinds. Diagnosis entails the observation of the body through looking, touching, smelling and listening. One of the primary and fundamental diagnostic methods of traditional Chinese medicine is pulse taking, which is far more intricate than pulse taking in the West. It has been said to take upwards of fifteen years to master this diagnostic art.
Acupuncture helps to balance the body’s energy, control pain and prevent disease. The basis of an acupuncture treatment is to balance “Qi” or Chi it is sometimes called. Qi is the energy that flows in and around the body through the channels called meridians. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that acupuncture can help Qi flow smoothly through the meridians and effects changes in the internal organs and musculoskeletal system to improve the quality of health. It can even relieve allergies as well as pain.
Acupuncture at ViVi Therapy is performed by a Registered Acupuncturist. Book today and enjoy the benefits of a balanced Qi!
