Shiatsu
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Shiatsu is a kind of therapeutic massage where pressure is applied with the thumbs and palms on the areas of the body as in acupuncture.
Definition of Shiatsu
"Shiatsu technique refers to the use of fingers and palm of one's hand
to apply pressure to particular sections on the surface of the body for
the purpose of correcting the imbalances of the body, and for maintaining
and promoting health. It is also a method contributing to the healing of
specific illnesses."
Japanese medical department of the Ministry of Welfare (Current Ministry
of Health, Labor and Welfare) in December 1957
This manipulative therapy Shiatsu developed in Japan. It is the
incorporation of anma (Japanese traditional massage), acupressure,
stretching, and Western massage.
In Shiatsu pressure is applied on specific areas or special points on the
body to sustain physical and mental well being or treat disease.
Shiatsu reduces stress and alleviates nausea and vomiting. It also
improves circulation and the immune system. Shiatsu also proved helpful in
treating diarrhea, indigestion, constipation, disorders of the
gastrointestinal tract; menstrual and menopausal problems; chronic pain;
migraine; arthritis; toothache; anxiety; and depression; neck and back
pain; insomnia.
The Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare acknowledged shiatsu as a
beneficial treatment, and licensing was established for practitioners.
Side effects
When performed properly, shiatsu is not associated with any
significant side effects.
Education/ Certification/ Standardization in Shiatsu therapy
Tokujiro Namikoshi founded the Japan Shiatsu College in 1940 and
systematized a form of Shiatsu therapy based more on Western anatomy than
traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine.
In Japan, anyone who practices Shiatsu therapy must be licensed with the
Ministry of Health and Welfare. Shiatsupractors are required to study at
least three years/2,200 hour educational program of Shiatsu therapy in the
universities or colleges which authorized by the Ministry of Health and
Welfare and pass the national exam to be licensed.
In the U.S., one professional organization for Asian Bodywork
Therapy (including Shiatsu) is the AOBTA (American Organization for
Bodywork Therapies of Asia). This organization is seeking statewide
standardization of Asian Bodywork licensure requirements. To date, the
AOBTA has been named specifically in the licensure laws of Illinois and
Washington, DC. The AOBTA is also working with the NCCAOM (National
Certification Council for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) to introduce
mandatory, standardized national board certification to the profession.
