Acupressure is a natural healing method that has been used for thousands of years.
It is based on the premise that there are pressure points throughout your body that, when pressed, can restore the balance of energy and improve your well-being. There is less emphasis placed on "curing" disease in acupressure than in acupuncture, but rather promoting the overall health and well-being of a person by correcting imbalances. In one study from Japan, researchers examined that people who had received 30 minutes of daily acupressure treatment experienced significant improvements in their depression.
You can use acupressure therapy on yourself, but ideally, you'll want someone to help so that the pressure can be applied evenly and correctly. All of the points need to be stimulated for best results, even if you just rub or massage them gently.
When stimulated with either deep or light pressure, these points release muscular tension throughout your body, allowing blood flow to increase and carrying fresh oxygen and nutrients to your cells. This brings an instant feeling of relaxation. Stimulating the acupressure points within the same energy meridians also speeds up the elimination of waste products from your cells, which helps improve immune function. Because acupressure stimulates nerve endings on your skin's surface, it releases endorphins, which naturally help relieve pain. As the endorphins are released, they reduce discomforts such as headaches, menstrual cramps or back pain. It may be used as part of a deep tissue massage.Acupressure is an alternative medicine therapy that involves applying pressure to specific points on the body, similar to acupuncture. Acupressure is believed to unblock or balance the flow of energy along meridians, which are pathways running up and down your body's surface. When you receive acupressure treatments, your therapist applies finger pressure to certain key points; this process affects the nervous system through chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. By activating these neurotransmitters (similar to how painkillers like endorphins work), acupressurists believe they help control everything from stress levels and high blood pressure to migraines. Many people practice acupressure in conjunction with other types of complementary therapies, such as acupuncture and massage therapy. Acupressure is one of the techniques used in shiatsu which is a Japanese form, a bodywork therapy that originated in Japan. There are however acupressure mat manufacturers saying that their mats can help relieve both neck and back pain, stress and headaches.
Acupressure is based on the principle that there are "acupoints" (similar to pressure points) situated along the 12 main meridians or pathways of energy. These paths run up and down both sides of your body, between your upper lip and your hairline, under each eye and across the palm of your hand. Acupressure practitioners believe that when these lines become blocked due to injury or stress, it causes illness or pain within specific organs. By pressing on these key points, they direct the flow of energy to restore balance throughout your body. This releases muscular tension throughout our body, allowing blood flow to increase carrying fresh oxygen and nutrients for cell repair. Stimulating these acupressure points also speeds up the elimination of waste products from your cells, which improves immune function and reduces discomforts such as tension headaches, menstrual cramps or back pain. Acute pressure block within sciatic nerves can also be administered to attain short-term relief from a chronic condition of dental pain. Wrist acupressure is also believed to reduce pain associated with a sports injury.
There are inadequate peer-reviewed studies and randomized controlled pilot studies on the safety of acupressure for children within many academic research institutions. Therefore, only an experienced massage therapist in acupressure should work with kids and provide medical advice.
Acupressure is generally considered safe but you might be uncomfortable or feel some pain when receiving this treatment. You may also experience redness and bruising in the area that was treated. If you notice neck stiffness, joint numbness or any other unusual symptoms following your acupressure session, consult your doctor immediately. If you're considering giving acupressure a try, it's important to find a practitioner who is trained and experienced in this technique. An acupressurist should answer all of your questions before beginning a course of treatments and follow safety guidelines such as wearing gloves when they apply pressure on your entire body for painless recovery.
Acupuncture and acupressure are often confused as both use the same pressure points to work with energy, but they are completely different practices. Contemporary acupressure therapy is a form of alternative medicine to western medicine used for stress reduction and pain relief whereas acupuncture is also a form of alternative medicine that uses needles on acupuncture points to bring balance to your body's qi or energy flow as seen from a traditional Chinese medicine standpoint. The use of a mechanical needle stimulation pad has been beneficial in patients suffering from chronic neck pain and also chronic back pain.
Acupressure is administered by applying deep pressure or touch directly on the body's acupoints, which are located along the meridian system (channels) through which vital energy flows. The receiver remains fully clothed and lies on a firm surface or acupressure mat during sessions, with the practitioner applying varying degrees of pressure to these points using their hands, elbows, knees or feet. This pain management procedure is beneficial as many people report experiencing deep relaxation after an acupressurist has worked their magic on them. It should however be noted that acupressure does not wounds, swelling or scar tissue.
Acupressure treats most parts of the body using their fingers, hands or elbows - head (especially scalp), face (including sinus points), ears, neck, shoulders and upper back; arms; chest; abdomen; lower back; buttocks; hips, thighs and groin; knees and legs; feet.
No. Acupressure is a manual therapy that uses finger, hand or elbow pressure on specific energy points of the body to balance its energy flow and ease discomforts. Acupressure, unlike acupuncture, does not use needles to achieve this.
During a typical session, you will lie fully clothed on a massage table while your acupressurist uses his or her hands, elbows or feet to apply varying degrees of pressure to specific energy points across your body. The techniques used to overlap with those found in many forms of relaxation and meditative massage. It is important to be treated by an experienced professional as some very delicate areas require great skill and expertise to access correctly so as not to cause discomfort rather than relief. Some acupressure sessions may also involve passive stretching or movements, herbal wraps or compresses.
Yes. Acupressure is generally very safe when practised by an experienced professional. However, it's important to be your own advocate and speak up if you are experiencing pain or resistance during a session so that the pressure can be adjusted accordingly. You should also tell your therapist if you have any health conditions they need to know about, such as pregnancy, chronic diseases such as diabetes, recent surgeries or cancer treatment, inflammatory arthritis and high blood pressure before beginning a course of treatment. These and other factors can affect how much pressure your acupressurist uses on you during sessions so he/she knows what to expect and how to adjust the level of pressure accordingly for optimum benefits of acupressure. You should however look for qualified massage therapists with a qualification in acupressure.
Acupressure is a great option if you need relief from chronic stress conditions such as insomnia, migraines or fatigue or want to address general poor circulation or sore muscles after workouts. It's also useful for treating physical and other symptoms related to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression and can help with weight loss by improving your metabolism and blood circulation.
Acupressure is especially good for people who cannot tolerate the use of needles in acupuncture - pregnant women, those with blood-clotting disorders, cardiac pacemakers, surgical pins/ screws/ plates and those who are taking anticoagulant medications, for example. Therefore, acupressure is efficient at reducing pain, especially in therapeutic ailments. For more information on massage, take a look at the Victorian Government's Better Health website.