If you've ever heard of acupuncture, you have a general idea of the principles behind acupressure. It, too, is an ancient form of healing, much like acupuncture, just without the needles. The very basic belief is that we experience illness due to a blockage in the flow of energy in our body. Through pressure points, this blockage can be released. From this, we can experience a great number of benefits.
Function
Before you can ever touch on the benefits of acupressure, you should really understand what this form of massage therapy is--an ancient technique of applying pressure to certain points of the body as a way to bring about healing. The practice of acupressure was basically established on the belief that, within each of us, there is an energy that continually flows from head to toe. When disrupted and out of balance, the body will experience problems in health and wellness. Acupressure can offset and treat the flow and bring the self back into balance and health.
Features
When you seek help from a massage therapist who specializes in acupressure, you'll generally find them rubbing, kneading, squeezing or even pinching certain areas of your body. Where they focus will depend on your specific problem. Since there are hundreds of pressure points throughout your frame, the specialist will manipulate, for lack of a better word, those areas that correlate to your exact trouble. Theoretically, what the therapist is trying to do is to open the flow of energy that is currently disrupted and causing your ill-health. Once the flow of this energy is back in balance, you should then feel better.
Significance
By opening the flow of energy, the body should be able to tap into its own recuperative and restorative powers. It is believed that the body can then rid itself of any toxins that have built up in the areas of the blockage. These areas will usually experience an almost stiffness prior to their release. Once the pressure has been applied to the proper points on the body, you will feel a liberation, in a sense, and sometimes a slight feeling of nausea (from the release of the toxins), which usually pass shortly after.
Effects
Though a number of people look to acupressure for a heightened sense of relaxation, there are other definite benefits. Depending on what you are looking to achieve, it is believed that acupressure can reduce your blood pressure, regulate your menstrual cycle, lessen the pain of labor, treat mental anxiety, treat stomach problems like indigestion and nausea, relieve headaches and migraines, eliminate pain in the neck, shoulders and back, help with insomnia, enhance your spirituality, improve your mental aptitude and increase your overall energy levels as well as treat other disorders and ailments.
Identification
To give you a kind of brief (and fairly limited) overview of how acupressure works, here are a few specific points on the body and what they are used to counteract. If you suffer from depression, a pressure point found on the top of the foot just down from the big toe can lessen and alleviate it. To improve your concentration, you can apply pressure to the point just below your wrist bone. If you're lacking energy or feel overly exhausted, you can apply pressure to the point between your shin bone and your calf muscle. The point between the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the trapezius can be used to help with both headaches and neck pain. The point by the elbow near the crease on the outside of your arm can be pressed to alleviate shoulder pain. The point that is basically midway between your sternum and belly button can be used to help with digestive issues, such as heartburn, indigestion and other issues involving the stomach.
Considerations
Some of the more serious issues and illnesses that have been treated with acupressure have been breast cancer, diabetes, asthma, arthritis and depression. Of course, this is by no means a recommended approach, and you should, if suffering from a serious disease or illness, seek treatment from a medical professional, such as a doctor or specialist. Acupressure can be used as a complement to more traditional medicinal practices.
Tags: flow energy, help with, points body, pressure point, apply pressure