Shiatsu provides a means of treating potential imbalances in the body’s invisible but natural way of communicating energy. When there’s imbalance, a person may begin to feel bad, like something is not just right. When left out of balance, eventually some ill may surface and be expressed. When utilizing various techniques of applied pressure along zones of the body, it’s possible to calm these imbalances of energy flow when a person is suffering.
The Japanese word Shiatsu translates “Shi” as finger and “atsu” as pressure. In most cases my thumbs are used as my tools to deliver pressure to troubled areas. At other times, my knuckles or my elbows are used to stimulate a series of “tsubos” or pressure points. Tsubos are points found within a “keiraku” or meridian pathway.
The Chinese have charted and provided references of various recorded meridians for 1000’s of years. Some Japanese Shiatsu practitioners began to merge the use of these charted pathways with their own “hands on” method of treatment. They found their fingers to be a more of a sensitive healing instrument than that of acupuncture needles.
Acupuncture treatment follows similar meridian energy patterns but uses needles during treatment to encourage energy flow. An acupuncture needle though is not capable of monitoring and feeling what the practitioner's finger tips provide during treatment. With Shiatsu treatment, the patient is fully clothed, and receives what one might refer to as acupressure. Although acupressure is a technique generally limited to a specific area.
Shiatsu should not be considered only a massage technique. Actually it is an intricate treatment system developed by the Japanese to treat human ailments and improve health by encouraging the body's energy to function better. Shiatsu treatment utilizes the practitioner's fingers and their energy to stimulate nervous energy to flow. This of course is contrasted to the art of using acupuncture needles to release the body's energy to better move along it's meridian pathways.
As I work on a person and find a zone where energy is being hindered, it's usually confirmed to me in a variety of ways. When working across a nerve pathway, I might find a tight spot around a muscle. Sometimes the patient will even react with a subtle flinch or sigh. Other times I will identify a meridian tied to the patient's problem, and simply work through the path and then find that the patient has responded.
Some patients are shocked as I’m treating them because I often find other things as I go along they forgot to tell me about. Shiatsu has been an asset in my practice as I regularly use a variety of hands-on methods to treat problems.
What conditions have responded to Shiatsu?
Shiatsu should be considered a complementary therapy. It is not a replacement to your usual doctor's care.
Shiatsu treatment has been shown to be effective in helping to reduce and manage certain disorders such as those listed above.
The Japanese word Shiatsu translates “Shi” as finger and “atsu” as pressure. In most cases my thumbs are used as my tools to deliver pressure to troubled areas. At other times, my knuckles or my elbows are used to stimulate a series of “tsubos” or pressure points. Tsubos are points found within a “keiraku” or meridian pathway.
The Chinese have charted and provided references of various recorded meridians for 1000’s of years. Some Japanese Shiatsu practitioners began to merge the use of these charted pathways with their own “hands on” method of treatment. They found their fingers to be a more of a sensitive healing instrument than that of acupuncture needles.
Acupuncture treatment follows similar meridian energy patterns but uses needles during treatment to encourage energy flow. An acupuncture needle though is not capable of monitoring and feeling what the practitioner's finger tips provide during treatment. With Shiatsu treatment, the patient is fully clothed, and receives what one might refer to as acupressure. Although acupressure is a technique generally limited to a specific area.
Shiatsu should not be considered only a massage technique. Actually it is an intricate treatment system developed by the Japanese to treat human ailments and improve health by encouraging the body's energy to function better. Shiatsu treatment utilizes the practitioner's fingers and their energy to stimulate nervous energy to flow. This of course is contrasted to the art of using acupuncture needles to release the body's energy to better move along it's meridian pathways.
As I work on a person and find a zone where energy is being hindered, it's usually confirmed to me in a variety of ways. When working across a nerve pathway, I might find a tight spot around a muscle. Sometimes the patient will even react with a subtle flinch or sigh. Other times I will identify a meridian tied to the patient's problem, and simply work through the path and then find that the patient has responded.
Some patients are shocked as I’m treating them because I often find other things as I go along they forgot to tell me about. Shiatsu has been an asset in my practice as I regularly use a variety of hands-on methods to treat problems.
What conditions have responded to Shiatsu?
- Muscles and joint pain
- Tennis elbow
- Back pain
- Poor posture
- Tension or stress
- Fatigue
- Digestive problems
- Breathing problems
- Menstrual pain
- PTSD
- Grief
- Fibromyalgia
- Headache
- Whiplash injury
- Sleep disorder
- Insomnia
- Ulcers
- Asthma
- Sciatica
- Irregular menses
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Bed Wetting
- Vertigo
- Tinnitus
- Anxiety
Shiatsu should be considered a complementary therapy. It is not a replacement to your usual doctor's care.
Shiatsu treatment has been shown to be effective in helping to reduce and manage certain disorders such as those listed above.