Kim Purdy

Treating the whole person: Asian Bodywork Therapy

Our body; covered in muscles, tissues and within, nerves and blood and we have channels meridians and pathways

A good definition: Shiatsu pronounced shee = (finger) atsu = (pressure), a non-invasive therapy originating from Japan.

The United States department of education has specified Acupressure Shiatsu and all 14 forms of Asian Bodywork Therapy, as a subset of massage therapy as well as acupuncture. These gentle but firm and deep techniques aim to reduce tension and re energize the body. Treatment can be as light as a relaxation Swedish massage or deepest deep tissue, but the focus is always, the anatomy and physiology of western and traditional Chinese Medicine.

It is Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practice that is similar except that it uses my powerful fingers directly on the acupuncture points, as a single pint or a combination of points, instead of needles. This could result in an illness making meridians play a crucial role in the health of the entire body. Because I know the points location, zooming in as usually precise and the meridian is balanced when the energy is blocked then that particular area will usually be an area that the client will feel pain (Qi stagnation).

Shiatsu and Acupressure works with the body's energy flow; manual pressure is applied using a combination of kneading, pressing, tapping and stretching techniques, to specific acu-points on the body, as well as treatment of the whole body (similar to massage therapy,) but along the channels and meridians these follow muscles, tendons, all the meridians and channels relate to their corresponding organ.

But these channels meridians and acupoints treat the muscles, tendons etc, they also treat the nerves and the CNS and PNS, of the organ systems, the circulatory system will treat points and the channels that nourish and tonify the Heart, so that the organ will be its most relaxed and its function improved, joy and wellbeing increase, substantially.

For instance if a person is experiencing joint or bone pain, my focus will be to nourish the specific points and meridians. This will also help the related system, including the emotional states related to the meridian of the organ, i.e. grief is related to the lung, the spleen is overthinking; these emotions are balanced also. The list of issues treated are as varied as there are people, but the treatments are specific.

A treatment though amazingly relaxing it is thoroughly healing with intent and purpose, on the system, over a part of the structure.

Asian Bodywork Therapy is one of the three branches of Chinese medicine, alongside acupuncture and herbal medicine. Here is a small list that can be very effectively treated: Stress-Related Disorder and Injury, Asthma, Musculo-Skeletal Conditions (neck, shoulder, back, and hip/leg pain), Allergies, Headaches/Migraines, Repetitive-Motion Stress and Injury (carpal tunnel syndrome, etc.), Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD), TMJ, Menstrual Dysfunction and Peri-Menopausal Life-Cycle Changes, Muscle Tension and Spasm, Insomnia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Sports Injuries, Sciatica, Whiplash.