Shiatsu

Not to be confused with Shih Tzu.

Shiatsu (Kanji: 指圧 Hiragana: しあつ) is Japanese for "finger pressure"; it is a type of alternative medicine consisting of finger and palm pressure, stretches, and other massage techniques. There is no scientific evidence for any medical efficacy of shiatsu, but some shiatsu practitioners promote it as a way to help people relax and cope with issues such as stress, muscle pain, nausea, anxiety, and depression. There are two main Shiatsu schools: one incorporating elements of evidence-based anatomy and physiology, and the other based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Shiatsu is usually performed on a futon mat, with clients fully clothed. It is also performed on horses.^{[citation needed]}

Evidence base

There is no scientific evidence proving that Shiatsu is effective at treating any disease.

Definition

Shiatsu was invented by Tokujiro Namikoshi; he founded the first shiatsu college in 1940.

The characteristic of shiatsu as defined by Namikoshi is to apply pressure using only the fingers, palms and especially the thumbs on points that have been related to the central and autonomic nervous systems. Masanuga, who identified reflections of the acupuncture channels in the arms and legs, considered that shiatsu should a) involve the whole body, b) require a focused practitioner sensitive to the energy distributions of the body, and c) provide an extra dimension of connection and support (using both hands where one 'listens' and the other acts).^{[citation needed]}

"Diagnosis and Therapy combined" is the claimed ability of the shiatsu "practitioners" to use their sensory organs (palms, fingers, and thumbs) to detect disharmonies in the energetic components of the body, (such as stiffness or slackness at or within its surface), and to perform routines to correct these problems. This combined diagnosis and treatment is a the primary difference between shiatsu and Traditional Chinese Medicine such as acupuncture and moxibustion).^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Acupressure
• Acupuncture
• Anma
• Kiyoshi Ikenaga

• Onsen
• Reflexology
• Shizuto Masunaga
• Tokujiro Namikoshi
• Tui Na

External links

• American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia
• European Shiatsu Federation