Acupressure


 

What is Acupressure?

Have you ever seen an acupuncture treatment on television? Does just the sight of those long needles being thrust into a body make you wince? If you are experiencing pain, and would love to have the relief possible with acupuncture, but fear the needles, you need to ask, “What is Acupressure?”

Acupressure is closely related to acupuncture. It uses the same theories, meridian points, and provides very similar relief. They are both based upon restoring the bodies proper energy flow, helping the body to reach the proper balance, and allowing pain and physical conditions to heal themselves naturally. Acupressure can be used to block the feeling of pain temporarily in much the same way as acupuncture.

Where can you find acupressure treatments? Normally in many of the same places you may find acupuncture. Many chiropractors have taken training in one or both forms to give their patients more options, and themselves more techniques to solve physical problems. Chiropractors are well know for extending their skills with other forms of massage, pain relief, and eastern teachings. They understand it is not only the spine which can cause physical problems, but can extend through the nerve and energy systems of the entire body.

You can find some massage therapists who are trained in acupressure, too. These massage specialists are often the ones trained in Eastern forms of massage like Shiatsu, Thai massage, and others. By doing a little looking around in your community you will likely find several massage specialists who also are trained in acupressure.

Of course there is one place you may want to look first. There are therapists who specialize in only the practice of acupuncture and acupressure. It is their only job, and the passion of their lives. They have studied it more thoroughly, and use their skills many times per day. If you have someone in your community who specializes in the practice, they will be your best choice. Their continued practice and study gives them more insight into the human anatomy as concerned with acupressure, allowing them to be even more effective.

How effective can acupressure or acupuncture be? There have been cases of surgical procedures being performed where the only form of pain relief was the use of acupuncture. While acupressure may not be quite as effective in a severe case like this, in most normal cases it is highly effective, and the perfect solution for someone wanting to avoid needles.

Can you learn about acupressure points and techniques on your own? You could buy a book or other training material and try the techniques on a family member. Just keep in mind the techniques and methods are only as effective as your total understanding of the human body, the energy meridians, and the amount of practice you have. Trained professionals have learned from other experts and usually have hundreds, if not thousands of hours of practice and study to perfect their art. It can be fun learning on your own, just don’t expect the results you would get from a professional.

Treat Nausea with Acupressure

The art of Acupressure is an ancient one that has been used for thousands of years, originating in China. Today, it can be used for many different things – treating nausea is a fairly common use. Although some people write off these treatments as being “folk medicine”, the truth is that if used correctly, they can be very powerful in improving your health.

Whether you are fighting off the stomach flu or you are in pregnancy, using acupressure to reduce nausea is a wise decision. Rather than relying on expensive and possibly dangerous prescription medicines, you can just ask a trained friend or family member to help you out. If you’d prefer, there are also fine-tuned wrist bands that apply just the right amount of pressure to reduce nauseous feelings effectively.

If you are going to self-apply pressure, or if you are having a friend apply the pressure for you, it is important that you find the correct location. One of the best locations for this treatment is a point that is just below your wrist on your arm. Press with your thumb and index finger for 10-30 seconds – if you feel any pain, you are pressing too hard. After that, rub your wrists together at the point you selected earlier and breathe in and out slowly for up to five minutes until you are relieved of your symptoms.

If you decide to purchase a wristband, all you have to do is follow the directions that come with it. This generally involves positioning the wristband correctly and tightening it appropriately based on how severe your symptoms are. Although these wristbands are not common in most wholesale department stores, you can find them online as well as at many alternative or natural health stores, and they are usually not very expensive.

The next time you are overtaken by a wave of nausea, try relieving your symptoms naturally through acupressure rather than reaching for chemical medications out of your medicine cabinet.

Acupressure as Healing

Acupressure is a wonderful form of alternative medicine that is becoming more and more prominent in western health techniques. Its principles come from ancient China, but many of the techniques are now being proven effective, thousands of years later. Those who understand the power of acupressure as healing know that it can be used for many different health problems to provide immediate as well as long term relief and healing. Although the reason why this works is still a mystery, it is more and more widely accepted that acupressure as healing is effective.

Acupressure is used in a wide variety of healing techniques. From back pain to nausea relief, almost any sort of discomfort can be relieved by pressing gently on various pressure points located in various locations on the body. You can even relieve stress and non-physical tensions through certain pressure points, which relate to the spiritual heritage of the practice.

There are points that are used for quick headache relief, balance, neck pain, shoulder tension, stress, earaches, ringing in the ears, allergies, cold symptoms, gas and bloating, coughing, and more. Many pressure points function for several different remedies. Typically, one will press on the selected point gently for three to five minutes while breathing deeply and sitting or lying in a comfortable position. Some points are difficult to reach, and require the assistance of a partner. In most cases, relief can be felt nearly instantly, although some treatments of acupressure as healing are recommended to be repeated several times a day, such as the ones for appetite suppression.

These various treatments can provide relief from a number of symptoms, and also provide mental and social improvements as well. Using acupressure as healing is a great way to heal both the mind and the body totally naturally, and in the comfort of your own home.

Acupressure For Nausea

Nausea can strike at the worst times – during business meetings, at a fancy restaurant, or at night when you are trying to sleep. Although there are many medicines available to treat nausea, many of them take thirty minutes to one hour for you to notice any effects.

Also, if you’re stuck in a meeting, you may not have medicine on hand or water to take it with. No matter where you are, though, there is one treatment option that just requires a few minutes of your time – acupressure for nausea. Wherever you are, all you would have to do is step out of the room for a few minutes to apply this quick and painless treatment for nausea.

There are several pressure points that allow you to use acupressure for nausea treatment. One point is on your elbow, just inside of the joint. This treats nausea and other stomach related discomforts. Another prominent point is the one just above your wrist on the underside of your arm. Another more obvious pressure point is the one that is found just above your stomach and below your sternum. For each of these points, you should apply pressure for about three to five minutes in a circular motion with your thumb, knuckle, or fingertip. Don’t push too hard, though – if you are feeling pain in the pressure point, you are pushing too hard. While applying the pressure, breathe in and out deeply. This is more effective if you are in a comfortable sitting or lying down position with good posture, although it will work standing up as well.

Being struck with nausea is no fun, but now that you know that you can use acupressure for nausea relief, you can get comfort quickly no matter where you are. This handy treatment will help you feel better in no time at all.

Acupressure For Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most common health problems in the industrialized world, perhaps because we spend so much time standing or sitting in one location, or perhaps because we spend so much time with bad posture while watching television or using the computer. Back pain can be very debilitating and lower your quality of life considerably.

Although there are many different methods for getting rid of back pain, one that is definitely worth looking into is using acupressure for back pain. The acupressure works in this case by helping your body to naturally release muscle tension, allowing the muscles and joints to slowly work their way back to a natural and comfortable position.

Using acupressure for back pain is simple enough that you can do it at home with a friend or family member – there are many techniques that you can even do if no one else is around to help you out. Both the partner method and the solo method require relaxation and repetition, but once you take the time to try it, you’ll find that the end results are definitely worth the time.

If you are by yourself and want to use acupressure for back pain, you first need to lie down on your back. Most of the points that you will work with when alone are located behind your knees, so you need to lift your legs up so that you can comfortably reach. Then apply light pressure under each knee, while slowly lifting your legs back and forth. Then, for three or four minutes, lie flat again and breathe deeply. If you have a friend with you to help, you will stand up straight and they will apply moderate pressure on your spine, just above your waist. Once they find the appropriate point, you can lean back into their hands. Follow these steps with a massage, and then repeat.

Acupressure For Weight Loss

Most advertisements that you see for weight loss methods involve expensive pills or programs that totally control your diet. Although these methods can sometimes be effective, they are often far from natural and can end up costing quite a bit of money. It is possible to use acupressure for weight loss instead of relying on pills and special diets. You will still need to exercise and eat healthy in addition to the acupressure, but it is an addition that can help you lose weight faster without artificial assistance.

The way that acupressure for weight loss works is that it effects other mechanisms in your body. Use of appetite suppression is a very important factor; there are also points that can boost your metabolism. Other points involve your adrenal glands, kidneys, stomach, and large intestine. While each one of these points may not affect your weight drastically, combining them all into a regular treatment can have profound effects.

There are several recommended routines of acupressure for weight loss. Usually, one starts by stimulating the appetite control points on the ear and opening and closing the mouth slowly. Then, the spleen point, located just above the ankle on the inside, can help strengthen your digestive system and speed up the digestive process. About four finger widths below your knee, just to the side of your shin, you will find a point that allows you to speed up stomach digestion processes. Then, most programs recommend stimulating the appetite control points once again to end the routine.

It is important to remember that acupressure for weight loss is just one of the many steps you can take to live a healthier lifestyle. If you follow the routine daily, and additionally add exercise and healthy foods to your diet, you’ll start seeing pounds slip away in no time.

Acupressure to Induce Labor

In recent years, people tend to be returning to the idea of a more natural childbirth. Although women still typically go to the hospital to have their baby, it is becoming more common for women to refuse anesthesia, pain killer medications, or other artificial chemical compounds to ease the process. One aspect that is common with those who want a more natural childbirth is acupressure to induce labor, as this is a much more natural technique than using labor-inducing medications.

There are several acupressure points that are believed to be helpful in labor. For each of the points, either the mother or someone assisting her should use their forefinger and thumb to apply pressure gently, but firmly, on specific points. The pressure should be applied slowly in a circular motion. If the pressure is causing pain at a specific point, it is probably too much. For measurements such as “finger width” that are based off of body size, it is important to go off of the size of the mother, not the assistant. If done correctly, using acupressure to induce labor is totally natural and safe.

One spot that is believed to be helpful is the hoku spot, which is located on the top of the hand in the area between your index finger and thumb. Another area, called spleen, is located above the ankle on the inside. Also close to the ankle is the BL60 point, which is just between the ankle bone and the Achilles tendon.

Once you’ve used acupressure to induce labor, you can continue using these same techniques to ease delivery when you are at the hospital. Unless the doctor deems another treatment necessary, they will honor your request for a more natural method of easing labor, even through the use of acupressure. Overall, this is a much more natural way to induce labor and ease the birthing process.