Scientists haven’t still declared that the fast popularity gaining Japanese Massage Therapy called Shiatsu improves health categorically, but people who took the massage have experienced its various benefits. People have expressed that the treatment helped them calm themselves. Shiatsu therapists say that it indeed calms the sympathetic nervous system stimulating circulation, reducing stress, and soothing pain.
A study has been published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine that stated shiatsu might assist in reducing stress and alleviating fatigue. The survey was conducted on 633 people who underwent the shiatsu treatment for 6 months. According to the live long blog, the people expressed how shiatsu helped them ease out muscle and joint pain. A report was published in Manual Therapy which said that the shiatsu improves pain intensity and quality of life for people with fibromyalgia.
There are various types of massage and acupuncture treatments in the world, all aiming towards healing the body. Shiatsu is such massage which is primarily developed in Japan. Pressure is applied to specific points on the body, moving from one point to another in a rhythmic sequence during the treatment. Even Shiatsu massage chair is also becoming quite popular around the world with countless gadgets like massage chairs, back and neck massaging machine plus cushions being introduced in the market to simulate shiatsu.
Traditionally, in Shiatsu, the practitioner applies pressure to different points on the body that are said to be connected to pathways called meridians. The therapist aims to promote the flow of vital energy (the “chi”) and heal a body by applying pressure. He/She thus rectifies the blockages in the flow of chi that is supposed to contribute to a wide range of illnesses.