Acupressure Therapy

Acupressure was developed in Asian over 5,000 years ago and is still being carried out today. It is a form of healing which uses pressure on key points over the body which stimulate the body’s natural self-curative abilities. Today it is a successful therapy for the affective relief of stress related ailments and for boosting the immune system.

With acupressure you are using the same pressure points that acupuncture uses. The only difference is that with acupuncture needles are inserted on these points, whereas with acupressure it is just simply finger pressure. When these acupressure points are stimulated be it by finger pressure or with needles they release muscular tension and promote circulation of blood which is needed to aid healing.

Acupressure therapy can help people to relieve systems of stress and tension, increase energy levels, increases blood circulation, help remove toxic wastes, increase the feeling of well being and decrease labour pains.

Other complaints such as arthritis, back pain, sciatica, infertility, sinus and breathing problems, and snoring issues can also be helped by this ancient traditional Chinese medicine. These are just a few things which acupressure is being used for today.

The whole concept behind acupressure and acupuncture and also other therapies such as Shiatsu and reflexology, are all based on the concept of a person's energy, or life force. This is a belief system that a life force which is also known as known as chi travels through the body along pathways called meridians. According to traditional Chinese medicine there are 20 meridians across the body. It is also believed that a block in the flow of energy is what results in discomfort and disease. By pressing the correct point you are releasing the blocked energy and relieving the symptoms.

Shiatsu is a therapy which literally means finger pressure and is very similar to acupressure. But it is not just fingers which can apply pressure, thumbs are also common and even knuckles, palms, elbows and even feed can be used. The amount of pressure and duration will vary depending on the ailment. Sometimes just a few seconds are required, other times a few minutes are needed.

At the moment there is no evidence in science to support these theories but some recent studies have proven that applying pressure to certain points causes the brain to release more endorphins which are small proteins that act as a natural painkiller. The overall effect of acupressure has been strongly suggestive by studies but not conclusive yet.

The best way to test these theories is to try them. If you have a partner that snores why not buy an acupressure anti snoring ring which should be worn on the snorers little finger at night. Many people rate this little ring and say it has either reduced snoring or stopped it completely. Another one to try which doesn’t invoice buying anything is applying pressure on the hand to stop a headache. The next time you get a headache try applying a bit of pressure to the Hegu L1 4 point which is found between the bones of the thumb and first finger. To get a better idea of where this is just put “Hegu (LI4) point” into Google images and you will find a list of images which show you precisely where this point it.

By: Caz

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