Workers flock to traditional Chinese medicine hospitals for massage, and doctors urgently recommend...

Review expert: Wang Linyu, deputy chief physician of the Department of Orthopedics, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Recently, a trend of "health and wellness" has become popular among young people. Not only have they tried the traditional Chinese medicine version of sour plum soup, they also plan to sunbathe their backs during the dog days of summer. In addition, there is a group of young people who are keen on massage after get off work, and this topic has quickly become a hot topic on Weibo.

Source: Screenshot of Weibo hot search

In the outpatient clinic of the Tuina Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine), young people frequently line up for massage, seeking ways to relieve fatigue and relax their body and mind. Dr. Huang of the Tuina Department said that the number of patients now has doubled compared to the past, and most of them are young people. This phenomenon is not unique to Zhejiang. Young people all over the country are keen on massage. This reflects young people's desire for a healthy life and a new understanding of traditional culture, and also exposes their pressure and anxiety in work and life.

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Due to long hours of work, study or lack of exercise, the physical and mental health of many young people is in a sub-healthy state, which requires attention and improvement.

Spine problems in young people

In recent years, with the accelerated pace of life and increased work pressure, the physical and mental health of many young people is worrying. The incidence of diseases such as cervical spondylosis and lumbar disc herniation among young people has gradually increased, causing great trouble to their daily life and work.

Doctors pointed out that in the past, cervical spondylosis was mainly considered a disease of the middle-aged and elderly, but now the age of onset is gradually decreasing. Some young people feel discomfort in their necks and waists, and even experience dizziness, numbness in the hands, etc., due to looking down at mobile phones, computers and other electronic devices for a long time, or maintaining the same posture for a long time. These symptoms are manifestations of cervical problems, and cervical spondylosis has become a common disease among young people.

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In addition, lumbar disc herniation is also a common lumbar disease among young people. Due to long-term bending or sitting work, or long-term heavy pressure or maintaining an upright posture, young people are prone to problems such as waist pain and stiffness. If not treated in time, these problems may worsen and even affect daily life and work.

In order to solve these problems, many young people have begun to look for methods such as massage to relieve physical discomfort. Massage is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy that relieves muscle tension and pain, promotes blood circulation and relaxes the body through massage, kneading, cupping and other methods. For diseases such as cervical spondylosis and lumbar disc herniation, massage can relieve symptoms and relieve pain.

However, it should be noted that although massage is an effective relief method, it cannot cure these diseases. To prevent the invasion of diseases such as cervical spondylosis and lumbar disc herniation, young people should pay attention to maintaining good posture and proper rest time, and avoid maintaining the same posture for a long time. At the same time, regular physical examinations are also important measures to prevent these diseases.

Source: pixabay In short, the physical and mental health of young people needs more attention and protection. By maintaining good living habits and timely treatment, young people can effectively prevent the invasion of diseases such as cervical spondylosis and lumbar disc herniation and maintain a healthy body state.

Does massage really work?

In an interview with People's Daily, Zhang Xuri, a doctor at the Beijing Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine's Department of Acupuncture and Massage, stressed the advantages of massage as a traditional Chinese medicine treatment method. However, massage is not suitable for everyone, and not all institutions are qualified to perform it.

When Ms. Dong from Beijing received a foot massage, the technician recommended a Chinese medicine massage service for the leg meridians. However, due to the technician's unprofessional operation, Ms. Dong suffered soft tissue contusion and fluid accumulation in both knee joints. After investigation, the court found that the technician was not a professional or health technician, and did not hold a massage certificate.

Source: People's Daily Health Client

Similarly, in Meishan, Sichuan, there was a case where a customer suffered a fracture due to improper massage and was identified as a grade 10 disability. These incidents remind us that we need to remain rational and distinguish between medical massage and massage. Medical massage needs to be performed by personnel with professional qualifications, while massage is more of a health care method. Although it also requires certain skills and knowledge, the requirements are not as strict as medical massage.

In addition, not everyone is suitable for massage therapy. For example, people with infectious diseases, skin diseases, open soft tissue injuries, organ diseases or excessive fatigue should avoid massage.

Source: Weibo screenshot

Finally, it should be pointed out that frequent massage is not necessarily beneficial. Excessive massage may cause muscle fiber rupture, scar formation, loss of elasticity, and easily lead to increased pain and even functional impairment. Therefore, when receiving massage treatment, it must be moderate and not overly dependent.

What kind of physical damage may be caused by improper massage?

There are many different massage programs on the market, but some of them are risky. For example, improper weight loss massage may damage abdominal organs; ovarian massage cannot reach the ovaries and is more of a commercial hype; bone setting requires professional physicians, and non-professionals may cause cervical dislocation and nerve damage.

Random massage can also be dangerous. Massaging the neck may stimulate the internal carotid artery and affect the blood supply to the brain; massaging the eyes may damage the optic nerve and cause vision damage; improper spinal massage may compress or damage the spinal cord, leading to high paraplegia or even death.

Source: pixabay

Therefore, you should be careful when choosing massage programs and institutions to avoid physical injuries caused by unprofessional operations.

Massage is good, but self-discipline is even more valuable. It is better to pay attention beforehand than to make up for it afterwards. If today's young people, who are busy with their studies or careers, can take more care of their overloaded bodies and develop a good habit of exercising, perhaps there will be one less suffering patient in the massage clinic tomorrow.