Thursday, July 16, 2009

A Quick Overview Of Acupressure

By Linda Deen

Acupressure is an ancient healing technique related to acupuncture. They share the same points, known as acupoints, but acupressure uses finger pressure instead of needles. People who are afraid of needles welcome this distinction. This technique is very simple and can be used by anyone to treat a variety of conditions and disorders.

Acupressure has been in use for more than 5000 years. It's a part of traditional Chinese medicine and is most widespread in Asian regions.

It's interesting, however, that the earliest evidence of its use was not found in Asia, but in Europe, of all places. A 5300 year old mummy named Otzi, discovered in the Alps in 1991, had tattoos (simple dots and lines) that correspond almost perfectly with acupressure points.

According to traditional Chinese Medicine, energy or qi, sort of like a life force of all living things, runs through the human body along pathways called meridians. Blocked or diminished qi can result in various health problems. Acupressure works by stimulating acu-points located on meridians to balance and unblock the qi energy flow.

Many people believe that acupressure is more or less limited to pain management. It's much more than that. It can treat a variety of physical and mental maladies. These include anxiety, insomnia, allergies, asthma, fibromyalgia, digestive problems, skin problems, menopause problems, tinnitus, depression, addictions, and hypertension just to name a few.

It is applied with finger, thumb, elbow or some other massage tool. Acupoints are quite sensitive to pressure and can initially hurt a little bit.

Is it safe? Generally speaking it's very safe, with very few possible side effects. You should know, however, that it is not to be used to replace emergency procedures and licensed medical treatment. You should not use acupressure if you have a heart disease or if the acupoint is under a mole. If you're pregnant, see maternity or labor acupressure. - 14130

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