Touch and go: Tuina handles an ailing body<\/p>\n
Elvera N. Makki, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
At a glance, tuina might look similar to ordinary massage but it
\nshould never be taken as merely a fun rubdown. The Chinese
\nconsider it serious business for health, and it's now available
\nin Jakarta.<\/p>\n
You may be bemused by the term \"hand-manipulation\" the same way I
\nwas when I first heard of tuina, an ancient Chinese healing
\nmethod developed about 2,000 years ago.<\/p>\n
But, whatever you do, don't call it massage.<\/p>\n
Generally, tuina -- from tui meaning pressing and grabbing and
\nna for grasping -- can be defined as a series of pressing,
\ntapping and kneading movements to remove blockages along the
\nmeridian system of the body. This stimulates the Qi (chi) energy
\nflow and blood to promote healing of disorders related to the
\nbone and nerve system, like osteo-arthritis, specific
\nmusculoskeletal disorders, insomnia, migraine, cervical vertebrae
\nand orthopedics.<\/p>\n
Tuina technique, which can be painful for some people, varies
\nfrom light stroking to deep-tissue work. It often looks similar
\nto ordinary massage but it should never be considered a fun,
\nrelaxing massage.<\/p>\n
\"That is why they (the practitioners) tend not to call it
\nmassage, especially in Indonesia where massage is mostly
\nassociated with the pamper yourself kind of thing,\" said Fenny, a
\nChinese-Indonesian woman whose father often travels to Beijing
\nfor tuina treatment.<\/p>\n
He is one of many ethnic Chinese here who still travel to
\nChina for traditional Chinese medicine, including tuina, even
\nthough there are many shin-se (traditional Chinese health
\npractitioners) in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"We sometimes question the quality of shin-se here although
\nthey claim, for example, to be certified acupuncture
\npractitioners,\" Fenny said. \"We also don't know the quality of
\nthe medicine, whether it comes directly from China or is
\nartificially made in Jakarta.\"<\/p>\n
In China, there are formal schools of traditional Chinese
\nmedicine where graduates are given the title OMD -- Oriental
\nMedical Doctor, formally on par with MD.<\/p>\n
Yet perhaps Fenny and her father can think again about going
\nabroad, as Beijing Tong Ren Tang Indo (BTRTI), a franchise of
\nChina's Beijing Tong Ren Tang, established in 1669, opened here
\nin June.<\/p>\n
The Beijing Chinese medicine hall is well known for its unique
\ntraditional recipes to produce the best medicine using high
\nquality materials and advanced technology, as well as exporting
\nraw and processed materials.<\/p>\n
When visiting the clinic, one is immediately struck by the
\nstrong Chinese atmosphere, including the aroma of herbs. The left
\nside houses a spacious traditional pharmacy where there are
\napproximately 500 types of natural medicines -- all imported from
\nBeijing -- stored in hundreds of wooden-made drawers.<\/p>\n
The pharmacists mix and dispense raw materials in a
\ntraditional way, based on prescriptions written in Mandarin from
\na medical practitioner.<\/p>\n
\"We do not sell the natural herbs without a prescription from
\na doctor or outside shin-se. We are very particular on that, it
\nis not just an ordinary clinic but similar to Western clinics.\"
\nsaid general manager Liem Sian Tie.<\/p>\n
It's only been open a couple of months, but already a steady
\nstream of patients has come for treatment, he added.<\/p>\n
\"At first I came here because I couldn't move my hand as I had
\nfallen at home two years ago. I went to Singapore and other
\nplaces with no result, but after three tuina treatments at this
\nplace, my hand is back to normal,\" said 64-year-old Wien, a
\nfrequent patient, adding that the treatment was painful but
\nworked effectively.<\/p>\n
Liem said the company hired Chinese medicine doctors, with
\nmore than 30 years of experience in the field, with Dr. Song
\nSheng Yuan as the tuina specialist.<\/p>\n
Dr. Song has 35 years of experience in clinical treatment,
\ncombining Tiongkok and Western medication. He worked at prominent
\nhospitals in Beijing before coming to Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"Excellent!\" said Wien of Dr. Song's treatment.<\/p>\n
But since Dr. Song cannot speak English or Indonesian, France
\nChandra, a young Indonesian Chinese medicine graduate who is the
\nclinic's operations manager, or Liem himself acts as translator.<\/p>\n
Are there any side effects to the treatment?<\/p>\n
\"Treatment sessions lasting from 30 minutes to an hour have no
\n(negative) side effect. Patients often return for additional
\ntreatments, usually for chronic conditions,\" Dr. Song explained<\/p>\n
Just like most \"energy-based\" treatments, the patient usually
\nfeels either relaxed and tired, or surprisingly energized by the
\ntreatment and release of pain.<\/p>\n
Before undertaking the treatment, it is wise to understand
\nthat tuina is not used for disorders involving compound
\nfractures, open sores, external wounds or with infectious
\nconditions like hepatitis.<\/p>\n
Moreover, tuina should not be performed on the abdominal
\nportion of a woman during her period or pregnancy, and it is not
\nused to treat malignant tumors or tuberculosis.<\/p>\n
Since the doctor concentrates on specific acupressure points,
\nenergy trigger points, muscles and joints surrounding the
\naffected area, the patient should not eat at least an hour before
\nthe treatment.<\/p>\n
Beijing Tong Ren Tang Indo
\nJl. Hos Cokroaminoto No. 73-75, Menteng
\nCentral Jakarta 10350
\nTel. 021-3919088<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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