Finger-pressure therapies from China and Japan
Finger pressure on acupoints
Acupoint finger-pressure bodyworkNot regulated as a medical product; acupressure wristbands for nausea are sold over the counter as low-risk devices. Shiatsu practitioner licensing varies by country and US state.
Suction cups on the skin for pain and tension
Ancient suction therapy
Suction-based bodyworkCupping is not an FDA-regulated medical treatment; in the US it is performed by acupuncturists, massage therapists, and others under state scope-of-practice rules, and wet cupping that draws blood may trigger additional health regulation.
Scraping the skin with a smooth tool to ease pain and tension
Chinese scraping therapy
Surface-scraping bodyworkGua sha is not an FDA-regulated medical treatment; the tools are sold as general wellness or beauty products, and the body therapy is performed by acupuncturists and massage therapists under state scope-of-practice rules.
Chinese therapeutic massage rooted in traditional medicine
Chinese push-and-grasp massage
Soft-tissue and acupressure bodyworkNot regulated as a medical product in the US; practitioners are usually licensed under massage therapy or acupuncture boards, with scope varying by state.
Pressure on foot and hand points said to map to the whole body
Foot-map pressure therapy
Zone-based pressure therapyReflexology is not an FDA-regulated medical treatment; practitioners are certified by private bodies and, in some US states, regulated under massage or bodywork licensing rather than as healthcare providers.