Acupressure vs. Acupuncture 

Acupuncture and acupressure use the same points, but acupuncture employs needles, while acupressure uses the gentle but firm pressure of hands (and even feet).

There is a massive amount of scientific data that demonstrates why and how acupuncture is effective. But acupressure, the older of the two traditions, was neglected after the Chinese developed more technological methods for stimulating points with needles and electricity.

Both acupuncture and acupressure are used to stimulate what Chinese medical practitioners call chi—the body’s most basic healing energy. The main advantage of acupressure is that is the most effective method for self-treatment of tension-related ailments, and can be done just about anywhere with no special equipment required —all you need are your hands, a little knowledge and some time. It’s also cheap—free, in fact, once you’ve learned the basics. And it’s simple and safe. If you use common sense, the only thing you can do wrong is be a little too vigorous.

Many American physicians and health professionals say that both of these techniques are powerful methods for pain relief and disease treatment.

Common Uses of Acupressure

Acupressure is a very effective technique for relieving everyday aches, pains and stress. Common ailments acupressure is said to help include:

• back pain
• eye strain
• headaches
• insomnia
  
• neck pain or stiffness
• menstrual pain
  
• sinus pain
• ulcer pain
  

Acupressure can also reduce the pain of tendon injuries, and alleviate constipation and other digestive problems. 

History of Acupressure

Acupressure is the older, original technique, a Chinese home remedy that gave rise to the more “technological” approach of acupuncture. 

The basic human impulses—to touch, to heal—were combined in China with the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, which has as its original text the nearly 4,000-year-old Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine. In that text, and over the next two millennia, Chinese doctors discovered a system of channels and points on the body that, if correctly touched or stimulated, would relieve pain and speed healing. 

The traditional Chinese doctors said these channels, called meridians, were the invisible wires that conducted the body’s chi, or energy. If these channels were disturbed—if the energy flowing through them was too slow or too fast, too turbulent or too static—the body’s chi was said to be imbalanced. The goal of traditional Chinese medicine was to restore chi to a state of balance, and acupressure (along with diet, herbs, deep breathing, gentle exercises and other methods) was one of its techniques.

According to Chinese medicine If a person is totally healthy—mentally, emotionally and physically—energy will flow through the body freely, like electricity is conducted through circuits. But none of us is totally healthy. We all experience disease, injury and emotional trauma. And there are environmental assaults, too, such as air pollution and noise. According to Chinese medicine acupressure (as well as acupuncture) can be used to rebalance or unblock the energy that flows through your body, so your body can begin to heal itself.”

It is also believed that you can use acupressure (abd acupuncture) not only to ease aches and pains but also to prevent the development of illnesses.

Using Acupressure

If a block in your body is physical, such as a headache, you can use acupressure to release muscle tension and improve circulation in the area. As you gently press acupressure points where the headache is originating (say the temples or in the neck), the muscle tension lessens as the muscle fibers relax and lengthen, and blood flows more freely to the injury. The pain then goes away.

Pressing on the points can also free an emotional block by releasing the accumulated tension you hold in your body. There are points on your back, near your shoulder blades, that can relieve sadness and depression and points on your wrists and in the center of your forehead that can quell anxiety, according to Ayurveda experts.

Note:   The word "Ayurveda" is a tatpurushaāyusveda, which refers to a system of "knowledge." Thus "Ayurveda" roughly translates as the "knowledge of life," "knowledge of a long life" or even "science of life." Ayurvedic medicine is an ancient system of health care that is native to the Indian subcontinent and  is very common in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka and is used by millions of people. Ayurveda is also gaining popularity in the west. Ayurveda is concerned with measures to protect "ayus", which includes healthy living along with therapeutic measures that relate to physical, mental, social and spiritual harmony. 

Meridians 

There are 12 major meridians, each of which is connected to a specific organ, such as the stomach or spleen. Six of the meridians—lung, heart, pericardium, liver, spleen and kidney—flow up the front of the body. Six others—small intestine, large intestine, bladder, stomach, gallbladder and triple warmer—run down the back. 

There is another set of meridians, called the eight extraordinary channels, that run through the body in routes not directly related to the major organs. acupressure points are located on two of these meridians. One, called the governing channel, links the spinal column, brain and nervous system and runs from the tailbone at the base of the spine up the back and over the top of the head to the center of the upper lip. The other, called the conception channel, is linked to the digestive and reproductive systems and flows from the head to the perineum (the space between the anus and the genitals).

Local Points vs. Faraway Points

Acupressure remedies usually combine points near the area of pain or tension with points that seem to have no obvious connection to the immediate problem. Chinese medicine calls the nearby points local points and the faraway points trigger points. Trigger points work because the meridian pathways connect the points.

Applying the Right Pressure 

The general guideline is that pressure should be firm enough to “hurt good.” In other words, the sensation should fall somewhere between pain and pleasure. To little pressure and it will not work, too much can possibly cause damage, and in the least cause quite a bit of discomfort.

To apply the pressure, you can use your thumbs, fingers, palms or knuckles, depending on what is easiest and most comfortable for you.

Getting the Timing Right

To relax an area or relieve pain, first press the points gently for 30 seconds. Increase the pressure until it’s quite firm, holding it for one to three minutes. Then release slowly and gently, again taking about 30 seconds to gradually come off the points.

The Warm Up

Quick tapping with the fingertips stimulates muscles that are located just under the surface of the skin.

Brisk rubbing in general, and especially on the acupressure points, helps increase blood flow. You can use that technique to warm up your body if you’re feeling cold.

When you’re working on acupressure points in a large muscle group, such as the muscles in your shoulders or calves, kneading is often an excellent warm-up before using acupressure.

Use your thumbs and fingers and the heels of your hands to knead the points as well as the areas around them, just like you would knead dough to make bread. But always be gentle. You don’t want to injure yourself.

Paired Healing

Most acupressure points occur in symmetrical pairs—that is, one point is on the left side of your body, and the other is in the same location on the right side of your body. Both points in a pair should be pressed simultaneously, when possible. Working both sides balances your body and increases the effectiveness of acupressure. So if you’re working the Lu 1 points on your chest, for example, you should use your thumbs to press the points on both sides of your chest at the same time. Some pairs of points—such as the LI 4 points, which are located in the webbing between the thumb and index finger of each hand—can’t be stimulated this way, so you need to work first one point, then the other. 

Stay the Course

If you’re using acupressure to work on a chronic health problem or to relieve muscle tension, be persistent and consistent.

Acute conditions such as a flare-up of back pain or shoulder tension may require acupressure two or three times a day.

Even after you’ve obtained relief, weekly pressure point stimulation can help prevent recurrences.

Other Tips

Work gently on acupressure points on sensitive parts of the body, such as the face and abdomen, and on areas where there is very little cushioning between skin and bone, such as the top of the head.

For an energizing acupressure workout, try applying pressure to a series of points for short periods of time—say, five to ten seconds each.