MetroWest Whole Health offers services for your whole health. As part of your care, your acupuncturist may suggest a manual therapy like massage or cupping. Our therapists are expertly skilled in a number of techniques that will help you reach your health goals: these therapies include acupressure, cupping, far infrared heat therapy, gua sha, moxibustion, sotai adjustments, and topical herbal treatments, and more. 

Glossary of Manual Therapies

Acupressure and shiatsu: Acupressure is a system of balancing the body's energy by applying pressure to specific acupoints to release tension and increase circulation. The many hands-on methods of stimulating the acupressure points can strengthen weaknesses, relieve common ailments, prevent health disorders and restore the body's vital life force.

"Shiatsu" literally means finger (Shi) pressure (Atsu). Although Shiatsu is primarily pressure, usually applied with the thumbs along the meridian lines, soft tissue manipulation and both active and passive exercise and stretching may be part of the treatments. Extensive use of skin-organ reflexes in the abdomen and on the back are also characteristics of Shiatsu. The emphasis of Shiatsu is the treatment of the whole meridian; however, effective points are also used. The therapist assesses the condition of the patient's body as treatment progresses. Therapy and diagnosis are one.

Cupping: a method of applying acupressure by creating a vacuum next to the patient's skin. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) it involves placing glass, plastic, or bamboo cups on the skin with a vacuum. The therapy is used to relieve what is called "stagnation" in TCM terms, and is used in the treatment of respiratory diseases such as the common cold, pneumonia, and bronchitis. Cupping is also used to treat back, neck, shoulder, and other musculoskeletal pain.

Far Infrared Heat: similar to moxa, far infrared heat is used to simulate the effects of moxibustion and is an example of the incorporation of modern science in East Asian medicine.  We use TDP Lamps at our office.

Gua Sha: Gua Sha (pronounced “GWA SHA”) involves repeated pressured strokes over lubricated skin with a smooth edge. Commonly a ceramic Chinese soup spoon was used, or a well worn coin, even honed animal bones, water buffalo horn, or jade. The technique is used to treat local stagnation and is used both as treatment and diagnosis. Patients typically feel immediate sense of relief and change.

Massage The term "massage therapy" encompasses many different techniques (see box for examples). In general, therapists press, rub, and otherwise manipulate the muscles and other soft tissues of the body. They most often use their hands and fingers, but may use their forearms, elbows, or feet.

In Swedish massage, the therapist uses long strokes, kneading, deep circular movements, vibration, and tapping. Among the many other examples are deep tissue massage; trigger point massage, which focuses on myofascial trigger points—muscle "knots" that are painful when pressed and can cause symptoms elsewhere in the body; and reflexology, which applies pressure to the feet (or sometimes the hands or ears), to promote relaxation or healing in other parts of the body.

Moxibustion (or "moxa" for short) is a technique that involves burning an herb (Ai Ye, Artemis vulgaris) and holding it near or on the skin with a barrier. In some treatments we use only moxa -- no needles -- to stimulate the acupoints. Moxa is used to warm and promote movement at specific acupoints or body areas.

Sat Nam Rasayan® Healing: Sat Nam Rasayan is a yogic healing system that releases limits and blocks constricting the energies of our bodies, minds, and emotions. In yogic science these blockages cause disease, imbalance, and painful habits. With care and treatment, these limits relax, and our natural energy flows, stimulating self-healing. Usually the recipient is seated or lying down with the healer seated beside gently touching the recipient's arm for the duration of the session. Sat Nam Rasayan® is a registered trademark of Guru Dev Singh Khalsa.

Sotai & TuiNa adjustments: Sotai (pronounced “SO tie”) therapy was develped by Keizo Hashimoto a Japanese Medical Doctor (1897 - 1993) who had trained in Martial Arts and Massage. He developed a model of treatment based on returning natural body alignment by working with the breath and moving toward comfort rather than adjusting toward pain.

TuiNa (pronounced “TWEE nah”) is a form of Chinese manipulative therapy often used in conjunction with acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, Chinese herbalism, tai chi and qigong. Tuina is a hands-on-body treatment using acupressure that is a modality of Chinese medicine whose purpose is to bring the body into balance. The principles being balanced are the eight principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The practitioner may brush, knead, roll/press and rub the areas between each of the joints (known as the eight gates) to open the body's defensive (wei) chi and get the energy moving in both the meridians and the muscles. The practitioner can then use range of motion, traction, massage, with the stimulation of acupressure points and to treat both acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions, as well as many non-musculoskeletal conditions.

Topical Herb treatments: Herbs are applied to the skin to treat conditions in the joints, muscle, and skin.

Additional methods: Other methods that may be used in a treatment session include magnets, ion pumping cords, pressballs and intradermal needles, and plum blossom needles.