Shiatsu is a hands-on therapy in which the therapist applies pressure from the fingers, thumbs, palms of the hands and sometimes elbows and knees to various points along the body. A combination of techniques, including stretching, pressing, holding and rotating, are used to work on different areas of the body. The client lies fully clothed on a mat on the floor during the treatment.
Although Japanese in origin, shiatsu (from shi for finger and atsu for pressure) is firmly rooted in traditional Chinese medicine. The points (known as tsubos) on which the therapist applies pressure are the same as those used in acupuncture, and are situated along energy pathways described in TCM as meridians.
In Japan, shiatsu is used as a preventative measure rather than a treatment to cure illness. In the West, one can learn a kind of DIY-form of shiatsu at a beginners' class or from a book. Professional shiatsu practitioners must, however, complete three to four years training and a probation period.
Shiatsu became officially recognised by the Japanese government in the 1950s.
It was brought to Ireland by practitioners who trained in England in the early 1980s. Some therapists use it in conjunction with other therapies while others work only as shiatsu practitioners.
"Many people find that through their training, shiatsu gives them a whole orientation on life and a frame of reference which is enough in itself. Some of these people find that they then don't want to take it into the professional realm, says Seamus Connelly, who is a shiatsu therapist and teacher.
Another shiatsu practitioner, Joseph Maguire, suggests shiatsu doesn't have as high a profile as therapies such as aromatherapy or reflexology because it is done on a mat on the floor. "Some people might find this strange. Shiatsu can be intense. It can take a reiki-like palm-healing approach, or it can involve very vigorous work with the therapist using his/her knees, elbows and feet in a variety of techniques," says Maguire.
In her book, Healing with Shiatsu (Gill & Macmillan £4.99), Catherine Sutton describes shiatsu as "a catalyst in the healing process". "Healing is not something that just happens - it is a continuous movement towards harmony, balance and wholeness," writes Sutton, who trained as a nurse and midwife before becoming a shiatsu therapist.
As with most complementary health therapies, when one goes for Shiatsu, one must be prepared to look at one's health in a holistic way - looking at emotional, mental and even spiritual dimensions as well as physical symptoms.
It was the holistic approach of shiatsu which graphic designer Alan Bell (37) found most significant in helping him get rid of chronic lower back pain.
"I had no progress through the conventional medical channels over a period of 10 years or so. I went to pain management specialists, neurologists and chiropractors and, barring some help I received from one GP and one physiotherapist, all these attempts were useless at best or contributed to the problem at worst.
"I went for shiatsu once a week for four years or so and, through these sessions, I came to understand that my back pain was a tension/stress related condition. It was caused by an emotional blockage which needed to be cleared. It has made me realise that the physical and emotional are so connected.
"The cumulative effects of shiatsu have allowed me to get rid of my back pain , to think differently and benefit from alternative therapies."
Not everyone who goes for shiatsu will have such a life-transforming experience as Bell, but the therapy does aim to encourage reflection on one's lifestyle as a means towards curing physical health problems.
Shiatsu is deemed to be a valuable treatment for backache, shoulder tension, headaches, skin, digestive, menstrual, reproductive and respiratory disorders, anxiety and insomnia. It is not advisable to have shiatsu if suffering from appendicitis, cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, high fever or contagious disease. Neither is it recommended immediately after surgery, if bones are fractured or for those with severe heart disorders.
The Shiatsu Society of Ireland can be contacted by phone on tel: 01-2604669; by post at PO Box 7683 Malahide, Co Dublin; or e-mail: enquiries@shiatsuireland.com
A single treatment costs £25-£35 per one hour session. The first session usually lasts about one and a half hours.
See also
www.shiatsuireland.com
www.shiatsu.org