Beginner, about 6 min read
What tuina is
A professional hands-on tradition, and a clear line between that work and the self-massage on this site.
Tuina is written 推拿. A rough English guide to the sound is “twee-nah.” The name is often translated as push and grasp. In Chinese medicine it names a manual therapy practiced by people who are trained for it. Practitioners use their hands to press, knead, and roll soft tissue. Training, titles, and regulation are not the same from one country to another.
This website does not teach clinical tuina. It does not name points for illness, and it does not tell you how to treat pain, digestion, insomnia, or any other condition with your hands. It also does not recommend a clinic or a practitioner, because this project has no directory and no basis for ranking anyone.
What the self-massage pages are
- A short explanation, so an English-speaking reader can tell tuina apart from a home rub.
- One beginner practice for the palms and forearms, where you can see the skin and keep the pressure light.
- A list of reasons to skip self-massage.
- A repeated line: self-massage does not replace professional care.
What they are not
- A way to perform tuina on yourself.
- Acupressure for disease, or a chart of points.
- Instruction for massage guns, cups, scraping tools, or oils marketed as medicinal.
- A substitute for a physician, a physical therapist, or a qualified tuina practitioner.