Acupressure

Acupressure is a form of therapy that uses various forms of pressure on the same acupoints and energy meridians used in acupuncture. Acupressure, derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine practices, is an integral part of massage therapy, particularly with Thai Massage, Chinese Tui Na Massage, Jin Shin Do and Shiatsu. Other types of massage therapists also frequently integrate acupressure into treatment sessions. When pressure points, also called trigger points, are pressed, there is an increase in blood circulation in the treated area accompanied by the release of muscular tension and pain. These improvements are caused by an adjustment and balancing of the body's energy grid. Acupressure therapy thereby aids in healing many disorders. Kober A, et al. Prehospital analgesia with acupressure in victims of minor trauma: a prospective, randomized, doubleblinded trial. Anest Analg. 2002;95(3):723-7 http://www.medicine.nevada.edu/cehso/ems09/Pain%20Management%20-%20%20Mohler.pdf

You can learn how to stimulate your own acupoints to help relieve many symptoms and help relieve many minor disorders such as headaches. This can reduce or eliminate the requirement for prescription or over the counter drugs. Relief with acupressure massage can sometimes be faster than medications. http://med.stanford.edu/personal/pointfinder/ Below you will find a guide on methods of applying finger pressure.

This web page features several videos that demonstrates self massage of acupoints that can help relieve various disorders. The featured video discusses acupoints for improving digestive disorders. Also below are a section on how to do the massage and a fact facts section that includes contraindications (when you should not use it). You will also find tips on how to do massage, relevant links and references, news and blog sections to help you find more information on this topic.

General guidelines. It helps to have a peaceful environment that excludes loud noises or music so that you (if you are doing self-massage of the points) or the practitioner can concentrate on what they are doing. The practitioner and receiver should allow themselves to relax and breathe consciously and deeply during the procedure. You can use your fingertips, knuckle or elbow (which works well between the shoulder blades) to apply the pressure, depending on where the blocked points should be. Gentle, but consistent, pressure for 1-3 minutes can improve the blood circulation and qi flow in blocked points. Detection of unblocking can either be sensed as a tingling sensation in the practitioners hand or as a pulse sensed at the acupoint. Sometimes relief of symptoms can be achieved though the use of different points.

Here are some options for finger pressure for tonification, or increasing energy at an acupoint:

1. Use sharp, direct pressure.
2. Apply pressure for less than a minute.
3. Apply surface pressure.
4. Rotate the pressure with your finger in a clockwise direction.
5. Apply pressure at an angle in the direction of the meridian flow.
6. Apply pressure on points in a sequence along the lines of meridian flow. See the Mahalo Page on Jin Shin Do regarding this method.
   
   

For sedation, or relieving blocked enery, here are some methods that are used:

1. Use blunt, gradually increasing pressure.
2. Apply pressure for a longer time.
3. Apply deep pressure.
4. Rotate the pressure in a counter clockwise direction.
5. Apply pressure at an angle that is opposite of the energy flow in the meridian.
6. Use a point sequence in the opposite energy flow of the meridian.

Besides the featured video on relief of digestive disorders using acupressure, there are twelve other videos within the video section of this web page, listed in order for the two top rows, beginning on the upper left. The conditions covered in these videos include:

1. Anxiety panic attacks and palpitations
2. Self-massage acupressure for the face
3. General Pain
4. Headache
5. Sinus relief
6. Bell's Palsy
7. Nausea
8. Stress
9. Neck pain
10. Inducing Labor
11. Foot Pain
12. Hip Dysplasia in dogs

Don't use acupressure to replace standard emergency procedures or licensed medical treatment. If you are seriously injured or have persistent symptoms seek urgent medical treatment.