Shiatsu massage therapy is a healing and diagnostic method that originated in Japan. In the past decade it has become a popular and respected therapeutic technique in the Western world. Shiatsu is offered by many alternative healers and holistic centers. It is also now used in many major medical centers in combination with traditional methods.

  

Shi, or finger, and atsu, or pressure, aptly describes the Shiatsu technique. A Shiatsu practitioner will use only her fingers, palms, and thumbs to apply healing pressure to her client. The healing pressure will balance the body’s energy and help improve the health of the client.

When looking for a massage practitioner a person should look for someone who has been trained in specific Shiatsu healing techniques. The trained practitioner will be able to both diagnose and treat chronic health problems.

Listening with Your Hands
Some Shiatsu practitioners use shiatsu techniques to diagnose specific problems. A practitioner will use her fingers to determine where a client’s body is disharmonious. This ability to determine bodily ailments takes training and practice and comes only with time; this ability to diagnosis is called “listening with your hands”.

There are many ways a massage therapy practitioner will diagnosis potential health problems. The first step in the diagnosis process involves intense observation. The practitioner will make note of the client’s appearance and body odor. She will check pulse points and evaluate the client’s emotional health with a series of questions. After the initial observations have been made the practitioner will check the body for energy alignments. If an area is found to be out of balance, it will be treated by the practitioner using Shiatsu techniques.