You have an inkling that you want to pursue a degree in massage therapy, but you aren't 100% sure yet. Maybe you know someone who works in the field and admire that person's lifestyle. Perhaps you are considering how to focus your future around a stable career. Potentially you want a job that provides more money, more flexibility and more independence. … Read More

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is one of the fastest growing health care professions in the United States today. Increasingly, Americans are allocating their health care dollars toward holistic health and alternative medical treatments, services and products. … Read More

Shiatsu is a Japanese word that translates to "finger pressure" in English. It's also an Asian bodywork therapy that was developed in Japan with influences from traditional Chinese medicine and some Western medical therapies. Getting shiatsu massage training is just one of the many ways you can focus a massage therapy career. … Read More

Tui na is a type of massage therapy often used in conjunction with acupuncture and herbalism in the practice of traditional Chinese medicine. Tui na (pronounced "twee naw") translates into “pinch and pull,” according to the University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality & Healing. … Read More

Traditional Chinese medicine is a fast-growing health care profession in the United States these days. More Americans are opting for a holistic approach to their health. They are incorporating acupuncture, massage and other natural practices into their lives on a regular basis as a way to stay healthy and treat illnesses. Americans may use complementary and alternative medicine as their primary source of health care or as a supplement to other treatments. In fact, Americans spend $30 billion annually on complementary medicine, which means demand for practitioners is up. … Read More

Are you new to studying massage therapy or considering it? Even if you're a graduate of a massage program or a practicing therapist, visual guides to massage techniques offer an excellent resource for anyone immersed in the field. Find out how. … Read More

You have probably seen a classic Yin and Yang symbol before. It looks like two elongated teardrops — one black, one white — nestled within a circle. Each has a dot of the opposite color in the head of the teardrop. Yin and Yang are fundamental concepts in the philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine. References to Yin and Yang date back to 700 B.C.E. in the book I Ching, according to the Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation. … Read More

Swedish massage is a widely practiced and popular massage therapy technique in the United States. This form of bodywork aims to improve blood circulation to the heart, among other positive health perks. As part of a Swedish massage session, a therapist will use the hands, forearms and elbows to manipulate a client's muscles using long, gliding strokes. Other techniques that may also be used include kneading, tapping, applying a circular pressure and stretching. … Read More

Update: Due to the popularity of this post, we have written a much more in-depth article about Yin-Yang and Traditional Chinese Medicine. The concepts of Yin and Yang are important intellectual aspects of chinese philosophy and chinese culture and they form the foundation for understanding traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The earliest reference to Yin and Yang is approximately 700 centuries bce in an ancient text called I Ching or the book of changes. According to the Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation, Yin and Yang theory — considered the most fundamental concept in TCM — drives the understanding of health and wellness among practitioners of this ancient system of health care. The theory informs how diagnoses are made, and underpins the physiology, pathology and treatment of illness. It is an important part of the study of TCM. … Read More

Acupuncture is a safe, holistic therapy for the management of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It's a natural treatment that alleviates stress and anxiety, depression, insomnia and other common PTSD symptoms. Many sufferers of PTSD may opt for treatment like cognitive behavior therapy, pharmaceutical prescriptions or stress-reduction techniques. However, increasingly veterans are opting to augment traditional medical health treatments with alternative and holistic therapies like massage, yoga and acupuncture. … Read More

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common digestive ailment that is more commonly called acid reflux or heartburn. The symptoms that occur with the condition cause mild to severe discomfort. Most people experience episodes of GERD from time to time, though some people suffer from chronic or extreme cases of the disease. … Read More

Massage therapy has become increasingly important in the field of athletic training. You can now regularly find massage therapists working at sports medicine centers, within collegiate and professional athletic training programs, and more. Massage for wellness and injury prevention prepares athletes for optimal performance by reducing muscle tension and swelling and increasing energy, among other benefits. … Read More

So many differences distinguish Chinese and Western medicine, from underlying philosophy to methods of treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an ancient system of health care that dates back thousands of years, while Western medicine is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Find out how practitioners make a patient diagnosis in Chinese medicine vs Western medicine. … Read More

If you dream of pursuing an exciting and satisfying career in a medical or health field, you might want to consider the field of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and acupuncture. More and more health care consumers are turning to complimentary and alternative medical treatments as part of their health and wellness plans, making it a great time to get into the growing industry. … Read More

Are you looking for a new career? Do you need a flexible work schedule? Do you yearn for a professional path into a field that's growing? Do you want to help people every day? If so, exploring flexible careers in holistic health makes sense. Find out some of the top careers in natural and integrative health fields that offer practitioners the ability to make their own schedules, choose from a variety of work settings, and otherwise customize their professional life to their needs, interests and desires. … Read More