Integrating Tuina into Acupuncture Practice / New for 2026 - 2027

Tuina Tutor: Nick Lowe             

In 2025, East West College was delighted to run a training in tuina and advanced bodywork techniques for integrating into an acupuncture practice. In 2026- 2027 we are pleased to introduced a new course with focus on Tuina taught by Nick Lowe MSc MBAcC.

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We consider that the addition of tuina and acupressure into your acupuncture treatments can provide patients with numerous benefits including a greater sense of nurture and wellbeing. As well as learning specific massage techniques the course also teaches a range of in-depth, hands-on and interactive diagnostic skills including channel palpation and physical assessment.

Course Outline

Venue: Exeter / 2-day weekends, modular basis / Time: 9.30 - 4.30

Price: £260 per weekend

Price: £940 for four modules or £1180 for five modules

Eligibility: This course is suitable for qualified acupuncturists and students of acupuncture.

Learn how to integrate tuina massage techniques into your existing acupuncture practice. Being able to provide tuina and acupressure alongside your acupuncture treatments has numerous advantages including a greater sense of nurture and wellbeing. Please see course tutor Nick’s great video; “10 reasons video”

As well as learning specific massage techniques, these courses also teach a range of hands-on and interactive diagnostic skills including channel palpation and orthopaedic physical assessment. Each weekend module has an in-depth clinical focus on the most common musculoskeletal (MSK) pain conditions seen in acupuncture practice. By taking our course we believe that you will significantly improve your confidence and skillset in assessing and treating MSK problems.

“Approximately 45-60% of patients primarily seeking acupuncture for MSK pain.”

The treatment approach taught on this course is supported by a body of real clinical data and utilises in-clinic testing methods to help determine point selection and treatment principles. The courses also provide an in-depth study of the essential anatomy of the different channels from both a classical and modern scientific perspective. This is a great opportunity to learn a range of new clinical skills with lots of in-person practical learning days with a great group of colleagues.

Key learning goals:
•⁠  ⁠Learn and integrate easy to apply tuina massage technqiues into your existing acupuncture practice.
•⁠  ⁠Significantly increase your knowledge and confidence in treating MSK conditions.
•⁠  ⁠Improve diagnostic skills via learning channel palpation according to Applied Channel Theory & orthopedic physical assessments.
•⁠  ⁠Undertake an in-depth study of channel and acupoint anatomy informed by the latest research.
•⁠  ⁠Learn to use a variety of validated clinical assessment and evaluation tools⁠

•⁠ Provide more individualized and versatile treatments.

Course bookings include one day of online pre-recorded webinar content to be completed before attendance in-person.

Online 1 day – Pre-recorded webinars
•⁠  ⁠Introduction to Tuina, research highlights & clinical red flags
•⁠  ⁠Introduction to channel anatomy
•⁠  ⁠Introduction to pain science, myofascial pain & trigger points
•⁠  ⁠Clinical assessment, testing & tracking patient progress

Weekend 1 - Dates 5 - 6 September 2026 – Tuina for the back. Clinical focus: Lower back pain & sciatica.

Weekend 2 - Dates 24 - 25 October 2026 - Tuina for the shoulder. Clinical focus: Shoulder pain.

Weekend 3 - Dates 5 - 6 December 2026 - Tuina for the lower limb. Clinical focus: Plantar fasciitis.

Weekend 4 - Dates 6 - 7 February 2027 - Tuina for the neck. Clinical focus: Neck pain.

Weekend 5 - Dates 6 - 7 March 2027 - Tuina for hips and lower limb. Clinical focus: Hip pain.

To register your interest and ask us any questions on our 2026 -2027 modules, join our WhatsApp Chat by clicking on this link

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Note: If you have a specific interest in our Mai Jing Pulse Diagnosis workshops or Applied Channel Theory, please check out our website pages for those courses.

PHOTOS of our 2025 course in Exeter follow:

Testimonials:

Fantastic course with research and presentations on care information, lots of great learnings presented smoothly and with enthusiasm; great balance of practical and theory. Clark S.

I have really enjoyed the course, it met my expectations; it has been a good mix of hands on practical and very useful theory. Emily H.

Loved it, so interesting and very relaxing when being the patient! Patti O. February 2025

Friendly, hands-on, thought-provoking and flexible. Just what I needed and wanted, I  love the balance and combination of theory and practical. Great to have good quality materials, and online files and slides. Ruth B.

The course exceeded my expectations, the teaching was excellent, the content was informative, varied and extensive. It was an amazing weekend learning from Nick and Jamie. I am absolutely blown away by the sheer amount of information shared and their knowledge and expertise! I feel privileged to learn about tuina, acupuncture, pulse diagnosis and channel palpation from both of them. Alina C.

Really informative, good speed...'and by the way, it was amazing!' From the online element: 'So much content and extra information. I found it really good for integrating channel theory, pulse and tuina'. Amanda R.

The Curriculum is broad-ranging and well taught, both theory and practicals, and from the enjoyment point of view, it's the best CPD I've experienced. Patti O'B. May 2025

'A beautifully thought-through course, confident, and completely as described at a perfect level of background, history and modern use; perfect pace and content variability' Sam R. / October 2025

A wealth of experience and knowledge wrapped up in a warm, friendly teaching that has given me a whole new perspective on my practice and new skills! Allie S. / October 2025

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See our tutor bios below, and watch videos about the incorporation of bodywork into acupuncture treatments and practice.

Watch Nick's video on reasons why to integrate tuina into your practice:

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Booking may be done here or on our bookings page

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Nick Lowe MSc MBAcC

Nick Lowe is passionate about using tuina in clinic. He has undertaken clinical training in the UK, USA and China. Nick has been in clinical practice for over 12 years now and has a strong foundation in tuina massage; studying initially in China in 2009, he completed his Masters Diploma in tuina for sports injuries at the Body Harmonics Centre in 2013. For the last seven years Nick has been practicing the Applied Channel Theory approach as taught by Dr Wang Ju-Yi. He uses a practical ‘hands-on’ approach with an emphasis on palpation, physical assessment and in-clinic testing. Nick most commonly works with musculoskeletal and neuropathic pain, while in his Masters degree he focussed on acupuncture for mental health and anxiety. He is also an active acupuncture researcher and combines his use of traditional techniques and skills with a comprehensive understanding of modern anatomy, pathology and the latest scientific research. He jointly developed the ACU-Track Clinical Registry to help standardise the reporting of real-world patient outcomes in acupuncture practice.  He has been awarded a Junior Research Scholarship from the Society for Acupuncture Research (SAR) and has presented regularly at professional conferences. Nick taught tuina on our first ever 12-day Tuina and Advanced Bodywork Diploma Course in 2025, and we are delighted that he has agreed to teach this new specialised Tuina course in 2026 - 2027.

About East West College: At East West College we love bodywork - shiatsu, anma, tuina, as healing modalities and also for use in diagnosis, for example in channel palpation and advanced pulse diagnosis. The college was originally founded in 2009 in Farnham to teach a three-year Diploma of Shiatsu. From 2012, we organised two Diploma of Anma, and workshops on Japanese Sotai techniques for releasing muscular tension. Since then, we have run short courses on Shiatsu for Acupuncturists as well as our Tuina and Advanced Bodywork Diploma last year with Nick Lowe.

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