Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy
Ashiatsu oriental bar therapy is an early massage technique used by the Buddhist monks. This form of bodywork has always been related to traditional shiatsu as it incorporates the basic principles of traditional Chinese medicine. The word “ashiatsu” means “foot pressure” (“ashi” means foot, and “atsu” means pressure).
Ashiatsu oriental bar therapy is an adaptation of traditional ashiatsu barefoot massage. It involves a rhythmic stroking of pressure over the body. It’s one of the newest forms of massage therapy and was adapted by Ruthie Piper Hardee in the 1990’s. The technique uses a combination of gravitational force and deep compression massage to relieve muscle pain through a push-pull-pumping effect on the muscles of the patient. Overhead bars are used by the therapist for balance and control over the patient while they apply the foot massage. Proper technique will stimulate the lymphatic system and produce deep relaxation.
Traditional ashiatsu therapy involves looking at emotional states, breathing patterns, and focuses on the diet of the patient. A typical session would involve having the patient lay fully clothed on a floor mat, while the therapist applies foot and hand pressure to their body.
Modern ashiatsu oriental bar therapy has Asian roots and the basic dynamics of traditional Chinese medicine, but the technique has been modified in western society. The oriental bar therapy is not performed on the floor or through the patients clothing. But it still involves using foot and hand pressure to massage the body, and to relax the soft tissue muscles.
A typical ashiatsu oriental bar therapy session involves the patient removing as much clothing as they feel comfortable with and laying face down on a massage table. The therapist then climbs up onto the table and suspends herself from the bars on the ceiling, while giving the patient the compression foot massage. Usually the therapist applies a combination of Swedish foot massage and ashiatsu.
This form of massage therapy is very beneficial for patients suffering from chronic back pain. This is because the pressure strokes of the feet are applied along the para-spinals and the lumbar region of the back - which eases muscle spasm. The compression movements also help to open the intervertebral foramen (a passageway in a bone for nerves). This allows pressure and pain relief of the nerve, because the foramen now has more space to retake its natural position. Other benefits of ashiatsu oriental bar therapy include reduced stress, relaxation, reduction of inflammation and swelling of the spine, pain relief, long-term stress reduction, and an increase in the patients overall well being and health.
