Positive Health Online

Zhu Gang, the Vice-Chairman of China Massage Association
of Blind Practitioners massaging a client

Abstract

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a complex of symptoms mainly embodied as tiredness. Currently the treatment methods for CFS include medical treatment, Diet, Psychological Treatment, Acupuncture and Massage. Shujinjianya Massage (SJJY Massage below) is a lasting, full-body massage characterized by its soft manipulation. The author finds it effective in treating CFS, and has unique experience in this.

About CFS

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is characterized by whole-body discomfort and regular weariness suffered by most people in fast-paced daily life, usually accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness, headache, insomnia, forgetfulness, fever, joint and muscle pain and various neurological symptoms. The basic characteristic is that the CFS sufferer feels no relief even after rest, while health problems are not detected by tests. The American Center for Disease Control (CDC) predicts CFS will become one of the main factors influencing human health in the 21st century. It is absolutely necessary to explore methods for the prevention and treatment of CFS.

About SJJY Massage

Like Whole Meridian Massage Therapy (see Positive Health January 2006), SJJY Massage is a new massage programme created by the Yeahcome Research Office, which is a professional body involved in continuous research into and improvement of massage programmes and their effects in clinical application. With the increasingly frequent diagnosis of CFS in patients, the author finds that SJJY massage can effectively relieve various CFS symptoms, both physically and mentally. Now the massage manipulations are introduced briefly as follows:

The Practice of SJJY Massage

Client in Prone Position
The practitioner presses and kneads the client’s neck, shoulder, back and waist (see Picture 1),

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then with the emphasis on thumb-kneading the point of Jiaji (EX-B2) (Picture 2),

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Tianzong (SI11) (Picture 3),

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Shenyu (BL23) (Picture 4),

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and bladder meridian (Picture 5), etc.

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The Client in Supine Position

Manipulation on Head and Face
1.     The practitioner part-pushing the client’s forehead (Picture 6);

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2.    Kneading and pressing Taiyang (EX-HN3) (Picture 7),

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grasping and pinching eye sockets (Picture 8);

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3.    Thumb pressing-and-kneading Yintang (EX-HN) (Picture 9);

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Shengting (GV24) (Picture 10);

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Baihui (GV20), then kneading and rolling forehead (Picture 11);

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4.    Softly kneading auricles, head, neck, then grasping neck and shoulders, and finally palm-kneading Zhongfu (LU1) (Picture 12).

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Manipulation on Chest and Abdomen

1.    Both palms kneading and pressing briskly, then rubbing Shangzhong (CV17) (Picture 13);

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2.    Kai Sanmen (LR14, LR13, GB26) (Picture 14)

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and Yun Sanwan (RN13, RN12, RN10) (Picture 15),

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then one palm kneading Sanwan (RN13, RN12, RN10), Qihai (CV6), and Guanyuan (CV4);
3.    Kneading, pushing and vibrating the abdomen area.

Manipulation on Extremities

1.    Grasping and kneading the muscles of the limbs and feet, with the emphasis paid on kneading the knee joint (Picture 16),

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Xiyan (EX-LE5) (Picture 17)

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and the Stomach Channel of Foot – Yangming. (Picture 18);

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2.    Kneading, pressing and rolling Zusanli (ST36) (Picture 19).

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Completing the Manipulation

Grasping neck, thumb kneading and pressing Jiaji (EX-B2) (Picture 20)

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in the upper back, palm-root plucking and kneading the bladder meridian (Picture 21)

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in the back, rolling shoulders and back area, then grasping shoulders.

The manipulation should be soft, and the total session time is about 100 minutes. The practitioners could, according to the client’s individual requirements, choose full palms, hypothenar, palm-root, forearm, and thumb to operate.

Theoretical Analysis

The aetiology of CFS includes infection, immunology, autonomic nervous system, psychiatry, kinesiology, allergic reactions, etc. and the nerve-incretion-immune net system is the predominant cause of CFS. Simply speaking, CFS is the pathological state resulted from the disharmony of nervous system, incretion system, and immune system, caused by various environmental and heriditary factors.

The main manipulation skills used in SJJY Massage are rolling, kneading, pinching, and grasping with its operation being soft and lasting. The integrative action of dynamics, heating, bioelectricity and bio-fields could cause partial protein to decompose and release histamine to expand the capillaries, improve local blood and lymph circulation and nourish the skin and muscle. Finally, symptoms of fatigue, tiredness and numbness would be greatly reduced. Pressing and kneading Jiaji (EX-B2), Shenshu (BL23) repeatedly could achieve the releasing of chemical media from the sympathetic fibres, which could regulate the incretion by nerve-body fluid. It could adjust effectively non-specific and specific immune system by pressing some protective points such as Shenyu (BL23), Zusanli (ST36), Sanwan (RN13, RN12, RN10), Guanyuan (CV4), and Qihai (CV6) etc, and that will, to a large extent, strengthen the body’s immune system. Psychologically, soft manipulation itself could relieve mental tension, reduce stress and win the trust of patients.

To sum up, SJJY Massage is not only a physical therapy, adjusting basically the function of nerve-incretion-immune system, but also a Psychological therapy.

CFS is often described as ‘sleepiness’, ‘weary extremities’ and ‘indolence’ etc. in traditional Chinese medicine books. The disease locations mainly are the liver, spleen and kidneys, and its disease mechanism mainly lies in the imbalance of qi and blood. “Dynamic flow is important to blood circulation, so treating blood-related diseases requires promoting blood circulation.” “Sufficiency is qi’s basis, so treating qi-related diseases requires nourishment.” By the operation of manipulation-points-meridians-viscerus, SJJY Massage could nourish the liver, spleen and kidneys, replenish qi to promote blood circulation, and fulfill the purpose of alleviating fatigue and preventing diseases. “The head is the congregation of Yang qi and the house of mind”, so head massage could smooth the qi of six Yang meridians, regulate blood circulation and refresh the human body. All these finally lead to the disappearance of fatigue and better sleep.

Conclusion

The Author finds SJJY Massage has unique advantages in the treatment of CFS, mainly embodied in two aspects:
1.    Gentle operation and relaxing of the body: CFS is the result of a tense working and living atmosphere. Soft, even and lasting massage on head helps patients feel comfortable and sleepy during the session. After massage, they are likely to feel refreshed and find their work efficiency greatly improved;
2.    Pressing and kneading some important points over the patients’ relaxing bodies could regulate various pathological states more comprehensively and purposefully.

Bibliography

1.     Wang Qinhua, Liu Huaxia, Xu Hongmei, etc. The Diagnosis and Prevention of CFS. Nursing Foreign Medical Sciences. 23: (9), pp. 430-434, 2005
2.     T Craig, S Kakumanu. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Evaluation and Treatment. American Family Physician. 65: (6), pp. 1083-90, 2002