🌿 Folk Prescriptions

At the recent annual conference of the Harbin Traditional Medicine Manipulation Association, reporters learned that approximately 50,000 health massage therapists operate in the city, with around 30,000 working without certification. Most lack formal professional education and training, leading to frequent incidents of malpractice lawsuits.
Recently, Ms. Zhang, a laid-off woman from Harbin, visited a corporate hospital’s orthopedics department for cervical pain and bought ointment. With the doctor absent, a man in a white coat volunteered, “Let me massage you.” Unexpectedly, after returning home, she couldn’t move, suffering intense pain all night. Later, forensic examinations by provincial and municipal authorities confirmed cervical spinal cord contusion with incomplete quadriplegia. Analysis revealed that her pre-existing cervical spondylosis worsened due to improper massage, causing disc herniation and injury. The man in the white coat turned out to be the doctor’s father, working as a helper in the ward. Seeing his son absent, he stepped in uninvited, causing a legal dispute.
Massage and tuina have become extremely popular in Harbin and nationwide. With accelerating lifestyles, sub-health has become a common phenomenon. Many people feel physically exhausted, muscle fatigue, low energy, poor sleep, and increasing incidence of neck, shoulder, waist, and leg pain due to chronic muscle tension—creating a vast market for health massage. However, the absence of strict entry standards has led to a diverse and uneven workforce.
President Wang Yixin of the Harbin Traditional Medicine Manipulation Association stated that though massage seems simple, it demands high technical skill. At minimum, general health massage therapists require six months of training, while medical massage practitioners need 5–8 years of study and clinical practice. Professor Li Tongjun, Director of the Tuina Department at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, shares this view: to become an expert in health massage, one must master foundational theories including Yin-Yang theory, zang-fu organ theory, meridian and acupoint theory from traditional medicine, as well as modern anatomical, physiological, and pathological knowledge.
Concerningly, some practitioners rely solely on manual proficiency to offer medical massage. Among Harbin residents receiving regular massage, about 80% lack relevant knowledge, wrongly believing that massaging painful areas can cure or relieve ailments. Professor Li bluntly states: under such circumstances, medical errors and accidents are inevitable.
Li points out that even trained health massage therapists often overlook contraindications due to insufficient comprehensive knowledge. Conditions such as hepatitis, nephritis, hematochezia, hematuria, tumors, tuberculosis, skin diseases, early pregnancy, occult fractures, osteoporosis, suppurative arthritis, and severe heart disease are strictly contraindicated for massage. Applying massage to such patients may trigger disease onset or worsening, even leading to irreversible consequences.
How can the public avoid risks and accidental injuries during massage? President Wang advises: if seeking medical massage, go only to reputable institutions and choose licensed physicians. If discomfort arises during massage, stop immediately—never force yourself. Currently, the Harbin Traditional Medicine Manipulation Association is establishing a professional talent database, registering all qualified practitioners for public access. To break the traditional isolation of TCM massage, the association will host regular academic lectures, facilitate experience sharing, and launch a dedicated website providing relevant knowledge and information.
Experts Advise Seeking Massage at Reputable Hospitals
Recently, a citizen in Hefei experienced worsening back pain after visiting a small massage parlor. The next day, he could barely walk and was transferred to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, where he recovered after proper tuina treatment. According to Deputy Chief Physician Zhang Jianhua of the hospital, more and more patients arrive due to improper massage—mostly because they seek cheap, convenient treatment on the streets or in private clinics, delaying or worsening their conditions.
Massage and tuina offer benefits such as unblocking meridians, balancing qi and blood, and enhancing immunity. Through massage, one feels muscle relaxation, joint flexibility, mental alertness, and fatigue relief. For healthy individuals, it boosts disease resistance; for patients, it reduces local symptoms and accelerates functional recovery. Tuina is economical, requires no special equipment, and isn’t restricted by location or climate—anytime, anywhere it can be performed. These advantages explain why tuina has become widely popular as a health-promoting and fitness practice.
Experts emphasize that tuina works by stimulating specific body points. During treatment, one must remain mentally and physically relaxed, apply appropriate force, target accurate points, proceed step-by-step, and tailor techniques to the patient’s condition, age, and other factors. Important precautions: avoid health massage when excessively hungry, full, intoxicated, or overly fatigued. Practitioners must possess basic knowledge in Western and traditional Chinese medicine and professional skills, passing rigorous exams before certification. Yet many current practitioners only know basic acupoint locations and massage techniques—some even work without licenses. Experts urge: when experiencing pain or fatigue, do not seek random massage—consult a reputable TCM hospital.