I tried shiatsu: I hoped this type of Asian massage would relieve my back pain. Here's how my first session went - Test Run - Brief Article

Natural Health, May-June, 2002 by Erin O'Donell

I LOVED MY RECENT TRIP TO ITALY, BUT 15 days of lugging a heavy backpack and sitting for hours on planes and trains meant I returned home with more than memories and olive oil--namely, a nagging pain between my shoulder blades. Friends had treated similar types of pain with shiatsu, so thought I'd give it a try.

The Diagnosis

I made an appointment at the Boston Shiatsu School in Cambridge, Mass. where I met Jeannine Began Love, a shiatsu practitioner and instructor. After reading my medical history form, she led me to a treatment room and asked me to remove my shoes and lie on a thick futon mattress on the floor. That way she could apply her full body weight to the massage. Although Love is not a big woman, the words "full body weight" made me a little uneasy.

Love began with what's called a hara diagnosis by practitioners of Zen shiatsu, the type Love practices. She probed my abdomen to look for imbalances in qi, the energy that flows throughout the body along channels called meridians. Blockages in certain areas indicate specific physical and psychological problems. Love found several energy imbalances, including one in my bladder meridian that was probably producing my back pain.

The Treatment

Love had me flip over onto my stomach and began working on the backs of my legs, through which the bladder meridian flows. Placing her palm or thumb on specific points, she slowly sank her weight into the spot. The pressure felt surprisingly good, but when she reached the sides of my thighs I flinched, so she switched to light karate-chop-like movements.

Then she moved to the trouble spot between my shoulder blades, through which the bladder meridian also runs. Kneeling by my left side, she gently pulled my left arm away from the floor to make my shoulder blade pop out from my back and pressed her fingers into the area under my shoulder blade. She then repeated this on my right side. I felt a mild twinge, but within moments my back pain was gone.

At the end of the treatment, Love reassessed my hara and said all areas felt more balanced. I couldn't attest to that, but I knew I felt peaceful, and the pain in my upper back was gone.

My Verdict

The Best Part: Feeling the knots in my back dissolve--relief that lasted several days.

The Worst Part: The sharp pain when Love massaged my thighs.

Would I Do It Again? Yes.

At a Glance

Erin O'Donell, 30

The Therapy: Shiatsu is a form of bodywork. Practitioners apply pressure with their knuckles, thumbs, palms, and elbows to move stagnant qi (or vital energy), thought to be at the root of pain and illness.

The Cost: $50 to $75 for an hour-long session.

My Motivation: To relieve muscle spasms in my upper back.

Fear Factor: Mild.

Fast Facts

History: The Japanese developed shiatsu in the sixth century from borrowed Chinese principles.

Today: Several hundred shiatsu practitioners work in America.

For More Info: Contact the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia (856-782-1616; www.aobta.org).

Erin O'Donnell is a senior editor at Natural Health.