On Tuina Form... The spine is a column built as the axis for rotation. In the human body that works most effectively when we are upright, well supported through the legs and relaxed through the shoulders. This relaxed, engaged framework that we also utilize in our qi gong is the core structure that we engage from when applying our tuina in the clinic.  Let’s go through a quick postural checklist for achieving strong architecture for effective labor mechanics, starting from th

Let’s talk thumbs.  The health and function of the thumbs is vital to our clinic work. If we want the hands to have longevity with this labor, we have to mindful of how we use them.  Here are some general guidelines I follow for maintaining thumbs in what has been a more than decade long career in manual therapeutics.  Keep the thumb structurally aligned and supported by the radius.  If the thumb and radius are in alignment, we can transmit force safely and effectively from t

Our relationship with our tools is an important one. In Chinese Medicine and Tuina, tools become extensions not just of the hands and body but of the practice itself. Many of us utilize cups, guasha tools, teishin, moxa, needles, stones, etc. to meet the bodies systems at specific frequencies and depths. Over the years, I have brought many tools into my clinical work. The ones that persist and have become a core component of my approach to this work are simple, ergonomic, and