CHARLOTTE – Recently we’ve had an uptick in the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This concept has been around for years but has been in the news pretty steady recently because we’re now talking about AI in regards to human interaction. According to Britanica.com, AI is the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. So there may be times when you’re interacting with AI and you might not even realize it (over the phone or over the computer), AI that is taking over job positions usually performed by humans.
In my curiosity, I found a few articles about AI being used in massage. That’s right folks, in my industry there might be a day when you walk into a place, swipe your credit card and lay down for an hour of massage with a pair of cold metal hands.
Not so fast, it’s a little more innovative than that. There’s a study going on at the Mayo Clinic with a robot named EMMA. EMMA stands for expert manipulative massage automation. They are programming her to help patients with pain relief. Specifically using a Chinese Medicine modality called tui na. The main therapeutic goal of tui na massage is to remove the energetic blocks that are causing qi stagnation. It works alot like accupuncture (which focuses on the energy meridians in the body). Outstanding for pain relief.
Therapists now use tui na for low back pain therapy, but EMMA can provide help by performing the more repetitive movements.
-Lisa Lane, #13098, is a licensed massage and bodywork therapist practicing for 10 years in the Mint Hill community.
