Shiatsu, which in Japanese means “finger pressure,” may be thought of as a cross between acupuncture and massage. The art was developed in Japan over the last 40 years by Tokujiro Namikoshi, who claims to have treated more than 100,000 patients for a wide variety of illnesses. Lately, it’s been catching on in the United States.
Shiatsu is similar to massage in that it stresses the importance of deeply relaxing tense or exhausted muscles. By loosening the muscles, blood flow is improved. It differs from massage in that pressure is applied much more vigorously, usually with the ball of the thumb and sometimes even with the thumbnail.

With acupuncture, it shares the concept that there are points on the body (which may be far removed from the part that hurts) which, when stimulated, bring about beneficial results. Thus, pressure to the plantar arch of the foot is recommended not only for aching feet, but to eliminate weariness throughout the body, and even to relieve ailments of the kidneys, to which organ, according to shiatsu principles, the plantar arch is closely related.

Usually, the bulb (not the tip) of the thumb is used to apply pressure. The pressure should be firm, and the force used will vary from patient to patient and from one part of the body to another. In general, according to Namikoshi, the pressure should be “sufficient to cause a sensation midway between pleasure and pain.” The application of the pressure should last from five to seven seconds—no more. It may be repeated three or four times. A shiatsu treatment from a professional may last 30 minutes or more, but for self-treatment, several minutes at a time, a few times a day, is typical.

Tags: a cross between acupuncture and massage, finger pressure, japanese massage, massage services, sensation midway between pleasure and pain, Shiatsu

Posted on Saturday, August 23rd, 2008 at 8:55 am filed under Health, Massage. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.