Herbal Fire Tuina Massage (推拿) Healing is an ancient, unique healing method that has been secretly passed down by martial artists among the ethnic minority Tujia (土家) who live in the mountains in Western Fujian Province. It is an external healing technique that is informed by Tujia medicine practices including Nine Dragon Fire Healing Technique (九龍火療法), Fire Power Healing Technique (火功療法), Herbal Wine Fire Healing Technique (酒火療法), Tu Medicine Needle Healing Technique (土醫藥針療法). Its secret prescriptions and techniques were passed down the generations and by the masters. It encompasses Herbal Fire Tuina Massage (藥火推拿), Herbal Fire Muscle and Sinew Therapy (藥火理筋開筋), Herbal Fire Acupuncture Point Healing (藥火點穴), Herbal Fire Bath (火洗澡), Herbal Fire Flaming Palm (火焰掌), Cinnabar Healing Fire Moxibustion (丹藥火灸) and Fire Power Bone Therapy (火功透骨秘法).

Martial Healers’ Herbal Fire Healing Technique is unlike healing techniques that are popularly known as Fire Dragon Healing Technique (火龍火療), or Fire Beating Healing (拍火). When carrying out Fire Dragon Healing Technique (火龍火療), the practitioner puts a wet towel on the body before igniting the alcohol and then extinguishing the fire with a towel. Medical Herbal Fire Healing (藥功真火療法) does not require the use of a wet towel on the patient’s body. Instead, the practitioner uses a specially formulated herbal fire oil to carry out tuina massage, or work on the pressure points, burning, and bathing – the red flames can flow and burn on the skin and yet no injury is done to the skin. The technique is simple and safe. Even the head does not need to be covered; the fire can be allowed to burn directly in the head and in the scalp and the hair remains untouched. At the completion of herbal fire healing, without the use of any further medication, the body continues to feel warmth and full of the yang forces for up to half a day. As Medical Herbal Fire Healing (藥功真火療法) penetrates the body easily and unblocks the meridians and collateral channels quickly, its effects are superior to techniques like Fire Dragon Healing Technique (火龍火療), or Fire Beating Healing (拍火). Medical Herbal Fire Healing (藥功真火療法) was long used among the Tujia ethnic minority in the mountains of Fujian Province which is a region known for the miasma that pervades the low-lying damp ground. Medical Herbal Fire Healing (藥功真火療法) is the result of generations of medical practitioners of the Tujia battling the ill effects of the dank and humid conditions.

From the earliest times, fire has always been viewed as the appropriate treatment of arthritis. Medical Herbal Fire Healing (藥功真火療法) not only utilizes fire, within the fire there is herbal medicine, so that it brings together in one form of healing all the positive effects of fire power, fire healing, herbal healing, tuina massage, pressure point therapy, moxibustion, heat treatment and fumigation. One treatment of Medical Herbal Fire Healing (藥功真火療法) brings the benefits all the same time of fire healing, herbal healing, traditional tuina massage, internal power massage, moxibustion, heat therapy, and fumigation. It is particularly efficacious in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism, intestinal illness, frozen shoulder, cervical spondylitis, slipped disc, osteophyte, after-effects of stroke, ankylosing spondylitis, obesity, male genital illnesses, gynaecological illnesses, vitiligo, dermatological illnesses, illnesses of the internal organs and aesthetic treatments. It effects are seen after one treatment and healing is effected within a short time. The use of Herbal Fire Tuina and Herbal Fire Bath (火洗澡) is particularly effective in cases where the patient has been suffering from chronic arthritis that has not responded to treatments with tuina, qigong, acupuncture, xiao zhen dao (小針刀), herbal teas, herbal plasters. Not only is there quick relief for the patient, the healing technique is also able to get at the root of the illness. The amazing effect of Medical Herbal Fire Healing (藥功真火療法) can be explained by what the ancient medical practitioners said about the properties of fire, “Fire has the power to uproot mountains; fire is the best treatment for any chronic illness that has not responded to medicine. To root out the problem, one application of fire is superior to the effects of a hundred herbs.” The first step in applying Medical Herbal Fire Healing (藥功真火療法) is to apply pressure for three minutes to four specific pressure points with the intention of adjusting and unblocking the patient’s meridians and collateral channels, so that the patient’s body has been prepared for the treatment with herbs. Following this, the practitioner applies Herbal Fire Tuina and Herbal Fire Bath (火洗澡) as needed. The treatment is completed with the application of the specially prepared Herbal Fire Bath Herbal Plaster (丹藥液態火功透骨貼). This plaster when applied to the body heats up quickly and this will reinforce the healing.

Medical Herbal Fire Healing (藥功真火療法) is not only effective; it is also easy to use. The key is in applying the appropriate amount of herbal fire. It is imperative for the practitioner to grasp the techniques of applying herbal fire, bathing with herbal fire, adjusting herbal fire, spreading herbal fire, controlling herbal fire, beating herbal fire and ending herbal fire. Compared to traditional massage tuina and traditional medical internal power tuina (內功推拿), Herbal Fire Tuina is easy to apply and less strenuous. Its application is not limited by the seasons. In the fall and winter, it can be used to treat illnesses and to fortify the body. In the spring and summer, it can be used for detoxification and weight loss in addition to healing. Herbal Fire Bath (火洗澡) can be used to strengthen, activate and tonify the kidneys. Where there is inadequate energy in the kidneys, to try and unblock the governor vessel (督) is like grinding a mill without grain in it. Both the conception and governor vessels (任督) originate from the kidneys, if the kidneys are active, energy will automatically be generated. The use of Herbal Fire Tuina helps to initiate the process.

Medical Herbal Fire Healing (藥功真火療法) is a special healing method developed by the ethnic minority. It is a valuable martial healing treatment. This is its first introduction to the world.