What Is Acupressure & How Can It Help Me?

Acupressure is the pressing of specific acupuncture points in order to relieve pain and stress in a particular area or part of the body. Pressure can be applied by one's own or another's fingers, or, in response to particular problems, by a button on a wristband. Acupressure was said to have developed from the natural human tendency to stroke, massage, or press the body until pain is relieved.

Acupressure is acupuncture without the needles. A type of massage, it involves placing very firm finger pressure for a few minutes on an acupoint, which is a specific place on the skin. The acupoint to be pressed is determined according to which energy channel is blocked and therefore causing the problem. Each acupoint is believed to control particular body organs or functions.

According to ancient Chinese lore, acupressure is said to remove trapped energy, assist the free flow of the life force, and dissipate problems in areas of the body. Claims made for acupressure vary by practitioner. Some claim that the technique successfully treats obesity, arthritis, and pain and improves blood circulation. Others believe that acupressure can function as an effective preventive measure, maintaining health through the promotion of balance in body organs and systems.

Acupressure stems from the ideas on which traditional Chinese medicine rests, and is rooted in the beliefs and assumptions of that ancient healing system, including the flow of qi throughout the body. When qi meets no blockages and can move smoothly, balance and harmony are said to exist in the body, a state equivalent to health.

Conversely, when the flow of qi is blocked, internal imbalance results, a condition that results to illness. The fundamental belief behind acupressure, then, is that pressing certain points on the body, called acupoints, can remove energy blocks along relevant meridians, returning balance to the body and enabling healing to occur.

The ability of acupressure to reduce headaches was shown in a study reported twenty years ago. This research project followed 500 patients for two years and found that acupressure techniques were effective in relieving headache pain. The acupoints used in efforts to eliminate headache are located on the hands and feet as well as the head and neck. The particular point or points pressed depend on the type and location of the headache. Research suggests that applying pressure to specific acupoints also can reduce chronic backache.

The effectiveness of acupressure may be due to the relaxation and comfort that results from hands-on massage, the pressure that results in the release of endorphins (which are the body's natural painkillers), or some other cause. Although very hard or deep pressure may be somewhat painful, acupressure is not invasive and may be worth a try.

However, acupressure should not be used as the only treatment for a chronic problem or for serious injury or illness. In these cases, a licensed physician should be consulted. Acupressure should be avoided near the abdominal area in pregnant women and near varicose veins, wounds, sores, or bones that may be broken.