Why is Traditional Chinese Medicine massage so painful? 😭 I’m Alan King, and one of my biggest interests in biohacking and longevity is understanding recovery methods that have existed long before “biohacking” became a word. This is Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) massage / Tui Na, a Chinese therapeutic massage technique that can involve deep pressure, acupressure, compression, stretching and manipulation of muscles and joints. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, practitioners may describe painful or sensitive areas in terms of meridians, Qi and stagnation. From a modern physiology perspective, a lot of what you’re feeling can also come from concentrated pressure being applied to tight, irritated or sensitive muscle and connective tissue. And one important thing: more pain ≠ more benefit. I’m interested in the overlap between ancient medicine and modern performance science—what has evidence, what actually makes me feel or perform better, and what deserves a place in a real longev...