Shiatsu is a type of massage that was made popular by the Japanese. The term, shiatsu means finger pressure and is based on the teachings of traditional Chinese medicine. Proponents claim that it relieves a variety of conditions, such as headache, neck and back pain, fatigue and other joint aches. Shiatsu is famous for using the weight of the practitioner to apply pressure to a specific point of the client’s body, but it also makes use of other routines like stretching and holding. All of these techniques aim to revitalize energy within the body that may have been out of balance.
Various products have been developed to emulate the practice without the need to book an appointment with a professional therapist. Self massage devices, such as the Shiatsu massage pillow are easy to carry around, affordable and effective. They’re not exact replacements of the real thing, but they can be a fantastic alternative at home, in the office or when traveling.
Popular Shiatsu Massage Pillows
Below is a list 10 popular Shiatsu massage pillows being sold online.
Shiatsu Demo
Watch these videos so that you have an idea on how Shiatsu is performed:
How to use a Shiatsu massage pillow:
Benefits of Shiatsu Massage
Shiatsu has several health benefits. With the use of a Shiatsu massage pillow, you’ll be able to enjoy some of them. Here’s some of its benefits:
- Improves blood circulation.
- Reduces muscle stiffness.
- Stimulates and softens skin.
- Treats chronic conditions like headache, back pain, neck pain, fatigue and stress.
- Complements treatment of respiratory problems like sinusitis and the common cold.
- Relieves constipation by stretching the abdominal muscles.
History of Shiatsu
Shiatsu was developed by a Japanese massage practitioner named, Tamai Tempaku in the early 1900’s. Massage has been in existence for centuries. By combining massage with traditional Chinese medicine methods like acupuncture and herbal medicine, as well as contemporary Western methodologies, Mr. Tempaku came up with a physical therapy method he called, shiatsu ryoho. The Japanese government officially recognized it in 1964 and is now popularly known as Shiatsu.
Shiatsu has since been refined into different styles, with various practitioners inserting their techniques into the practice. Some give more emphasis on the energy aspect while others focus on the physical aspect. Regardless of their approaches, they all point back to the origin of Shiatsu.
