Main qi-points
The diagram below shows the qi-points that can be massaged when Tui Na is applied to the leg and foot. These are found on the following meridians: stomach (yellow), liver (green), kidney (blue) and spleen (yellow).
XIYAN – extra point
Located in the medial knee eye (ST 35 is in the lateral knee eye). Treats knee pain.
1 FRONT OF THE LEG
With your partner lying on their back, repeat steps 4, 5, 6 and 8 from Part Four (see here ), carrying out rolling, kneading, squeezing (see right) and percussion on the stomach and gall bladder meridians. Press and knead ST 31, ST 34 and SP 10 together, ST 36, ST 40 and GB 29, GB 31 and GB 34 (see here and here ).
These techniques improve overall energy and leg mobility.
2 KNEE PRESSING WITH EXTENSION
Find the two depressions just below the kneecap. ST 35 is in the outside depression, while the inside one is an extra point called xiyan, meaning ‘knee eye’. Supporting the leg with your fingers under it, press your thumb tips into each depression and thumb knead deeply for several minutes. Still pressing the two depressions, lift the knee up and pull the leg towards you. Repeat this action several times.
ST 35 and xiyan maintain healthy knees and relieve knee pain.
3 INSIDE THE FLEXED LEG
Flex the leg out to the side, keeping the foot tucked against the straight leg. Knead with the heel of your hand, pushing over the adductor muscles, and squeeze along the entire inside length of the flexed leg. Thumb press and knead SP 10, SP 9, SP 8, SP 6 and K 3 .
Caution: don’t use SP 6 during pregnancy.
Kneading the inner leg targets all three yin meridians of the leg, strengthening the spleen, kidney and liver energies.
4 PRESSING THE CALF
Lift your partner’s flexed leg and lock the foot by sitting on the toes. Place both hands behind the calf muscle and pull towards you progressively down the muscle on the bladder meridian. Knead BL 57 (see here ).
Pressure on the calf muscles relieves tension, spasm and sciatic pain.
5 HIP ROTATION
Lift your partner’s lower right leg over your right forearm and support the top of the knee with both hands, fingers interlocked. Rotate, making clockwise and anticlockwise circles. Start gently and gradually increase the size of the rotations as far as the joint allows. Another method is to support the heel with one hand and use the other hand on the knee to guide the rotation. This is a better method for more flexible people, who need larger rotations.
Frequent gentle rotations will Improve mobility of hip joints and ease arthritic hip pain, sciatica, lumbago and sacroiliac pain.
6 KNEE-HIP ULTRA FLEX MANIPULATION
Carefully flex the knee to the chest so the shin is horizontal. Lean gradually with your forearm across the knee, pressing for one minute. Repeat several times.
Caution: don’t apply body weight to people who have osteoporosis or hip replacements.
Manipulates the sacroilliac joint, and stretches the lumbar muscles to relieve tension in the lower back and open the hip joint.
7 SUPINE KNEE EXTENSION AND FLEXION
Cupping one hand under the heel and resting the other over the kneecap, lift the leg into the position shown right. Push the leg towards the body until you feel slight resistance. Pause, then firmly extend the leg by pressing down on the knee while pulling the heel in the direction shown by the arrow. Repeat this sequence several times.
Done carefully, this manipulation improves flexibility in the knee and hip and relieves knee pain, especially of the ligaments. It also stretches the lower back and relieves sciatica.
8 ZIG-ZAG HIP-KNEE ROCK
With the leg flexed so the shin is horizontal, hold the knee with one hand and the heel with the other. Carefully swing the knee outwards while swinging the heel towards the midline. Then reverse the movement to create fast, light to and fro actions, giving at least twenty swings in each direction.
Caution: don’t use this technique on a knee replacement.
Releases connective tissue adhesions in the knee and hip to improve mobility.
9 LEG AND FOOT STRETCH
Place one hand under the heel with the sole against your forearm. With your other hand pressing down on the thigh just below the groin, lift the leg, keeping it straight. As you raise the leg, press your forearm against the foot to create a powerful ankle flexion. Relax and then repeat once or twice.
Stretching the bladder meridian improves tone in the calf muscles and hamstrings.
10 SINGLE LEG AND HIP SHAKE
Standing at your partner’s feet, grasp the heel and ankle of one leg with both hands. Lean backwards, pulling the leg gently, then shake ten times with firm, rapid up and down movements. Repeat five to ten times.
The shake transmits through the hip and the spine for hip mobility. It eases pressure on the spinal nerves to relieve sciatica and hip pain, stimulates qi-flow in the six leg meridians and benefits the lower back, knee and hip joints.
11 DOUBLE LEG AND BACK SHAKE
Place one hand under each heel and shake exactly as for the single leg and hip shake above. Repeat five to ten times.
Shaking both legs stretches the spine to release pressure on the lumbar discs to relieve back pain and sciatica.
12 FOOT ROTATION
Sit on the couch and lift your partner’s nearest leg out and across so that the calf rests on your knee. Grasp the ankle with the supporting hand and rotate the foot with the other hand.
13 ANKLE ROTATION
With your partner lying on their back, raise the foot a little, supporting it with one hand under the lower leg just above the ankle. With your other hand, grip the toes and rotate the foot clockwise and anticlockwise.
This manipulation aids ankle mobility and treats a sprained ankle.
14 PULLING THE TOES
Grasp each toe in turn between your thumb and index finger. Rotate several times, and then pull vigorously.
15 PRESSING AND KNEADING QI-POINTS
Use thumb pressing and kneading to stimulate LIV 3, ST 44, SP 4, ST 41, K 3, K 6, GB 40 and GB 43 (see here and here for GB points).
These qi-points on the foot have important local and distant effects. For example, GB 40 treats lateral ankle sprain and LIV 3 can relieve migraines.