Main qi-points

The diagram below shows the qi-points that can be massaged when Tui Na is applied to the back, buttocks and hips. Back shu qi-points are found on the bladder meridian (blue). The hip qi-points are on the gall bladder meridian (green). The distance from the centre of the spine to the inner margins of the scapula is 3 cun. The back shuqi-points are located 1.5 cun from the midline.

BACK SHU POINTS – balance their related organs

BL 11 Bone
BL 12 Wind gate
BL 13 Lung
BL 14 Pericardium
BL 15 Heart
BL 16 Du
BL 17 Blood
BL 18 Liver
BL 19 Gall bladder
BL 20 Spleen
BL 21 Stomach
BL 22 Sanjiao
BL 23 Kidney
BL 24 Sea of qi
BL 25 Large intestine
BL 26 Gate of yuan qi
BL 27 Bladder
BL 28 Small intestine
BL 29 Back muscle
BL 30 White ring
BL 31 Upper crevice
BL 32 Second crevice
BL 33 Middle crevice
BL 34 Lower crevice

LOWER BACK POINT

BL 54 Outer bladder meridian

HIP POINTS

GB 29
GB 30

Your partner lies face down, with arms by the sides. This part of the routine stimulates the shu points of the bladder meridian for overall well-being (see here ), reduces tension and pain in the whole back and eases sciatica. You will be working on the left side first, followed by the right.

1 PRESSING THE BACK WITH ROCKING

Stand on your partner’s left side. Place your right hand across the sacrum and gradually push it into a gentle rocking motion from side to side.

Now place your left hand between the shoulder blades, the heel of the hand pressing on the tissues beside the spine on your side.

Keeping up the sacrum rocking motion, push and press with your left hand towards the spine, working slowly down the back to the lumbar area.

Starting from the shoulder blade area again, repeat with the left hand down the other side of the spine, pushing and pressing away from the spine. Repeat this pressing up to ten times.

Caution: don’t press directly on the spine.

This pressure with gentle rocking motion awakens the sleeping qi, relaxing the whole body and preparing it for the much deeper stimulation to come.

2 SINGLE HAND KNEADING ON THE BACK

Place the heel of one hand with the fingers relaxed on your partner’s upper back between the spine and the left shoulder blade, level with BL 13 . Pressure is focused through the heel, not the palm or fingers. Vigorously knead in a small circle in one place about twenty times. Knead progressively down the back to the sacrum along the bladder meridian. Repeat several times.

Single kneading promotes the qi-flow in the bladder meridian, which stimulates the internal organs.

3 SINGLE HEEL OF HAND KNEADING ON THE BACK

Repeat step 2 using just the heel of the hand to knead smoothly to and fro in one place before moving down the back along the bladder meridian.

This very focused kneading moves the underlying tissues to release muscle tension in the back.

4 DOUBLE HAND KNEADING ON THE BACK

Place the heels of both hands side by side between the spine and the left shoulder blade, level with BL 13 . Cross the fingers of the left hand over those of the right. With a circular motion, knead vigorously in one place about twenty times. This kneading creates side-to-side movement in the whole body. Work in this way down the back to the sacrum. Repeat several times.

Double kneading on the back shu qi-points will powerfully stimulate the organs to which they are energetically linked.

5 ROLLING DOWN THE BACK

Stand beside your partner, facing towards the head. Place your right hand between the spine and left shoulder blade, with your little finger over the spine. Start at BL 13 level. Use the single rolling technique down the left of the spine to the sacrum as you step backwards. Lift your hand rather than sliding it between positions and roll firmly about thirty times in each position.

Single rolling stimulates the inner bladder meridian. The rhythm aids relaxation and softens knotted muscles.

6 ROLLING TOWARDS THE SPINE

Facing your partner, use the double rolling technique, progressing from the top of the back down to the lumbar area. With firm pressure, place your second finger joints on the inner bladder meridian and roll towards the spine, at least twenty times at each position. During each roll, your knuckles will be just above the spinous processes.

The combined effects of these rolling techniques on the bladder meridian release tension throughout the back

7 KNEAD BY PLUCKING ALONG THE SPINE

Place your thumb on the inner bladder meridian. Knead by plucking towards the spine, following the same path as you do in step 4. Be guided by your partner in how much pressure to use, increasing the pressure on the lower back.

This series of techniques increases qi-flow through the back and all the organs affected by the bladder meridian.

8 KNEADING QI-POINTS

With the middle finger and thumb of the left hand on top of the middle finger and thumb of the right hand, knead by pressing and pushing forwards and backwards on all the bladder meridian qi-points in turn, from BL 11 to BL 23 , on both sides of the spine simultaneously.

From BL 23 , gradually increase the pressure and the size of movement, setting up a body rocking action from the arm. Repeat on BL 24, BL 25 and BL 26 . Your partner may well feel ‘pleasurable pain’ with this technique. Knead each point for two minutes.

Kneading the bladder meridian shu points balances the organs (see here ) for optimum function. BL 23–26 have a key role in maintaining a healthy, pain-free lower back and can treat slipped lumbar discs if massaged daily.

Thumb kneading BL 27–30 maintains flexibility of the sacroiliac joint. Kneading BL 31–34 improves qi-flow to the sacrum. To powerfully strengthen the kidney energies knead BL 23 and GB 25, the kidney mu point.

9 CHINESE ROLLING ON THE BACK

With either hand or alternating hands, use the Chinese rolling technique to roll quickly and firmly over the whole back.

This relaxing technique contrasts with the previous more penetrating ones. Any residual tension is dispersed, leaving your partner feeling relaxed and ready for the next phase.

10 FOREARM KNEADING ON THE BACK

Use the upper third of the forearms together across the middle of the back. Move your arms apart as you knead over the entire back. Leaning in with your body weight, apply outward pressure to achieve lengthwise and diagonal stretches. Repeat on the other side.

This technique gently stretches the back, helping to relax muscles.

11 CHAFING THE BACK

Standing on your partner’s left, chafe rapidly along each side of the spine in turn. Use long, firm strokes, at least twenty strokes on each side. Then use two-hand chafing across the sacrum, making at least fifty very rapid, short to and fro strokes. This can also be done on a bare back, using a little massage oil on the skin.

Chafing stimulates the bladder meridian and the kidneys. On the sacrum it can bring warmth down to the feet, because it moves qi rapidly through the bladder meridian to the legs.

12 PERCUSSION ON THE BACK AND BUTTOCKS

Stand on your partner’s left and use cupping over the buttocks and sacrum. Then cup up the spine with the hand lengthways along it (see here ). Use some force over the buttocks and sacrum but go gently along the spine. Repeat several times. Then, still standing on your partner’s left, pummel quickly, lightly and rhythmically several times down both sides of the spine, but not on the spine itself. Finish with hacking on all areas of soft tissue on the back.

These percussive techniques are tremendously stimulating and promote qi and blood circulation.

REPEAT STEPS 1-12 ON YOUR PARTNER’S RIGHT SIDE

In step 3, face your partner’s feet and not the head when rolling down the side of the spine, to ensure that you use your stronger right hand.

AFTER REPEATING STEPS

1-12 on your partner’s right side, you can do steps 13 and 14 to finish off the back routine.

13 RUBBING THE BACK

Rub with your right palm, making large circular movements over the entire surface of the back. Then use both hands to rub with a loose, light, side-to-side action from the wrist, moving the hands in opposite directions. Start at the shoulders, progressing down the back, over the buttocks and along the backs of the legs to the ankles. Keep the action rapid and repeat as many times as you like.

These rubbing techniques restore the natural flow of qi for a wonderfully calming effect.

14 PALMAR KNEAD WITH PUSHING THE BACK AND LEGS

Standing on your partner’s left side, place your right hand along the spine at the base of the neck, fingers pointing towards the feet. Push firmly and deeply, down the du meridian to the sacrum. Then start at shoulder level and push forcefully down each side of the spine on the bladder meridian over the buttocks, and down each leg. On each ankle, squeeze and knead BL 60 (see here ) and K 3 (see here ).

Pushing in this way assists the flow of qi along the du and bladder meridians.

MANIPULATION TECHNIQUES FOR THE SHOULDER

These are not done as part of the basic routine but are useful if your partner has specific shoulder tension or pain. See here under ‘Joint manipulation techniques’.