Ancient Tools, Modern Hands: Traditional Chinese Medicine Techniques for Massage Therapists

As a Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, I spent nearly a decade teaching master's and doctoral students at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, including several years as a clinical supervisor. I always got a smile on my face when a new intern was also a licensed massage therapist. Why? Because I knew I wouldn’t have to train their hands. I knew they already possessed a profound and visceral understanding of the body. That kind of knowledge can’t be taught from books. It has to be earned through years of therapeutic touch.

That same intuitive, hands-on experience makes massage therapists perfectly suited to learn and apply traditional East Asian techniques like gua sha, teishin, and cupping. These tools are part of a long history of instrument-assisted bodywork that formed a core part of Chinese medicine.

Cupping can be an effective and relaxing therapy.

Gua sha is a scraping technique that uses a smooth-edged tool to stimulate circulation, reduce tension, and jump start the body's natural healing cascade. Teishin is a non-insertion acupuncture tool used for gentle pressure, stroking, or tapping on the body to influence the flow of qi without puncturing the skin. Cupping uses suction to lift tissue, improve blood flow, and release tight fascia or muscle layers. Each of these tools allows for deep, effective therapy with minimal strain on the practitioner's body.

Instrument-Assisted Bodywork for an Effective and Sustainable Practice

The classical text, the Ling Shu (spiritual Pivot), sets the framework for all Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques to come through its description of the nine needles.  The first three of the nine needles were non-insertion instruments. These tools were used for pressing, stroking, tapping, and rubbing the body. They provided a way to reach deeper layers of tissue and improve the client’s well-being without breaking the skin. This allowed for more precise, effective, and efficient treatments than non-instrument assisted bodywork. In fact, the early classical texts instruct clinicians to use the least invasive, non-insertive techniques before using acupuncture. While still practiced in Japan many of these techniques are no longer used in China. 

Practitioners used these tools to save their hands, reduce strain on their bodies, and work more comfortably. At the same time, they were able to deliver deeply therapeutic results. This tradition of using tools in manual therapy was not an optional add-on. It was a central part of how medicine was practiced in early China. Unfortunately modern acupuncturists often overlook these modalities in favor of needles.

Massage Therapists are Ideal for Traditional Chinese Medicine

Modern massage therapists are in a unique position to carry this tradition forward. You already have the anatomical knowledge, palpation skills, and therapeutic presence that make these techniques successful. Adding gua sha, teishin, cupping and other east Asian modalities to your practice is not a departure from what you do. It is an enhancement that allows you to be more effective while using less physical effort. 

These tools can help you reach deeper structures without straining your hands and wrists. You can expand your clinical toolbox, offer new types of treatments, and take better care of your own body in the process. 

Reviving a Full-Spectrum Healing Tradition

Over time, acupuncture became the most recognized aspect of East Asian medicine. However, it was never intended to exist on its own. Massage techniques and tool-assisted bodywork were always foundational to this complete healing system. As a massage therapist, you have an opportunity to help restore this broader tradition. By learning and using gua sha, teishin, and other east asian techniques, you are connecting to an ancient lineage that is still completely relevant today. Not only will this set you apart from other massage therapists but it will help you achieve faster results for a broad spectrum of clients.

Melissa Martinie LMT, from StrongHouse Studio, demonstrates Gua Sha techniques.

Learn from a Source That Honors the Tradition

If you are going to bring these techniques into your practice, make sure to learn from someone who understands East Asian medicine as a whole. A teacher who is trained in this tradition can show you how these tools work as part of a larger system of diagnosis, treatment, and energetic understanding.

Learning from the right source helps you avoid common misconceptions and bad habits. These can easily develop when techniques are taught out of context or without cultural understanding.

Places like StrongHouse Studio offer high-quality continuing education for massage therapists. These courses are led by experienced clinicians who understand both the tools and the medicine they come from. Whether you want to expand your skills, protect your body, or offer deeper healing for your clients, learning these time-tested methods the right way will support your growth for years to come.

About The Author

Dr. Mark Parzynski, DAOM, Dipl. Ac., LAc.

Mark is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and a licensed acupuncturists, with expertise in non-needling modalities, orthopedic acupuncture, and classical East Asian medicine. His teaching and clinical work focus on integrating gua sha, cupping, moxibustion, and teishin with modern biomedical applications.

As an instructor at StrongHouse Studio, he is passionate about bridging classical East Asian medicine with modern massage therapy, offering hands-on, research-backed education to practitioners seeking to expand their skills.