Acupressure Massage Basics

Some background

If you like watching martial arts movies, there are certain scenes where the hero takes down his enemy just by pressing on certain areas of the enemy's body. These pressure points, in the movies, anyway, debilitate the enemy by causing pain, or even by blinding or paralyzing him. These artists are applying something similar to acupressure.

Acupressure is not a form of combat technique and you don't need to worry about pain or blindness. Acupressure is a form of massage and healing developed by the Chinese perhaps 5,000 years ago. Acupressure is quite similar to Japanese Shiatsu.

Chinese medicine believes that the body has meridians in which energy, known as chi, flows, much like blood through the various veins and arteries of youir body. If there are imbalances in this Chi flow, or blockages, then the body may experience various sorts of pain, illness, or disease. One of the main purpose of acupressure (and Acupuncture) is in removing these blockages, restoring the proper energy flow along the meridians. Releasing the energy allows the body to naturally heal itself.

Tibetan Acupressure Demo

Benefits of Acupressure

There have been many claims that acupressure has treated various kinds of illnesses apart from muscle pain and stress, such as nausea, morning sickness, eyestrain, arthritis, and fibromyalgia. According to conventional sciences, these claims were not proven, but some tests have shown that application of pressure to the body's focal points tends to encourage the release of the feel-good hormones of the body, the endorphins.

A chronic pain, however, is not removed in just one sitting. Acupressure, like other massage forms, needs time to completely do its work. Treatments can take eight to ten sessions, sometimes even more. There are certain illnesses and situations that are contraindicated with acupressure, like skin diseases and infection, including those people who have kidney, heart and lung problems. For people having these afflictions its highly recommended that you consult with your doctor before using acupressure. 

This video covers an acupressure point on the foot.

Do Your Own Hand Acupressure

By K Au-young

Here are some simple hand acupressure techniques you can do yourself to relieve pain, discomfort, or as a health maintenance exercise. You can apply pressure (massage) to your hands anytime both hands are free, such as while waiting for your ride, on the bus, riding in the car, while you are watching TV, a movie...

Here I'll list six points, all found on the finger tips. They are the Well Points on their respective meridians

• Shang Yang point LI1, on the Large Intestine meridian. It is on the radial side of the second digit, 0.1 cun (or about an inch) from the corner of the nail bed. Apply pressure for relieving toothache, sore throat or fingers numbness
• Shao Ze point SI1, the first point on the Small Intestine meridian located on the ulna side of the fifth digit, 0.1 cun from the corner of the nail bed. Use this point to treat headache, sore throat, breast pain or fainting.
• Guan Chong point TB1, first point of the Triple Energizer (or Burner) meridian, on the ulna side of the fourth digit, 0.1 cun from the corner of the nail bed. Applying pressure will treat headache, sore throat, red eye, pain in the eyes, cataract, febrile diseases, dysphoria, and stiffness of the tongue.
• Shao Shang point LU11 of the Lung meridian. It is on the lateral aspect of the tip of the thumb, 0.1 cun laterals to the angle of the nail. Use this point to relieve sore throat, coughing, asthma, fever, depressive and manic psychosis and vomiting.
• Zhong Chong Point PC9 on the Pericardium meridian. Found on the center of the tip of the third digit or middle finger. Use this point for wind-stroke, sun-stroke, coma, infantile convulsion, cardiac pain, swelling, stiffness or pain of the tongue or feverish sensation.
• Shao Chong point HT9 of the Heart meridian. It is on the radial side of the fifth digit (the little finger), 0.1 cun from the corner of the nail bed. This point treats coma due to wind-stroke, palpitation, heart pain, depressive and manic psychosis, thoracic and hypochondriac pain.

There are many other acupressure points other than the well points (or jing xue in Chinese) on the hand. For example, Laogong point PC 8, which is in the middle of the palm, between the second and third metacarpal bones, proximal to the metacarpophalangeal joint, is good for calming anger fear, sweaty palms, mental disorders, and wind-stroke.