The Loop Newspaper - Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide

"Doctor Tom", as he is called by his clients, is the owner of Oriental Massage off of Tucker road in the Albertson's shopping center (785 Tucker Rd. Ste. J).

Originally from China, "Doctor Tom" received his degree from there in the various massage modalities and is proficient in the following oriental therapies: Cupping, Acupuncture and Tui Na as well as all Chinese, Japanese and Korean massage therapies.

If you haven't heard of it before, cupping is a form of alternative medicine in which cups are placed on the skin to create suction. The suction is created using heat, usually fire, or can be created mechanically by hand or with electrical pumps. Cupping therapy supporters believe that it removes harmful substances and toxins from the body and promotes healing.

Acupuncture involves the insertion of extremely thin needles through the skin at strategic points on the body. As a key component of Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture is most commonly used to treat pain. According to TCM, acupuncture is a technique for controlling the flow of energy or life force which is believed to flow along pathways through the body. This energy is known as qi or chi (pronounced CHEE). The needles are inserted into specific points along these pathways and practitioners believe that the energy flow will re-balance.

Tui Na is the form of Asian bodywork which is most similar to conventional western massage. Despite its similarities to Swedish-style massage, Tui Na is intended to be more therapeutic than simply relaxing. Tui Na sessions use rhythmic compression along the energy pathways of the body, as well as a variety of techniques that manipulate and lubricate the joints. Also, like acupressure, Tui Na sets out to directly affect the flow of energy by holding and pressing the body at the acupressure points.

See "Doctor Tom's" ad for Oriental Massage below this article for contact information and a special offer.