What is acupressure massage therapy?
Acupressure is a treatment that boosts signals through the body to help promote self-healing and wellness. The technique is guided by the same holistic principles as acupuncture and An acupressure therapist will put pressure on certain ‘acupoints’ to unblock the meridians (energy pathways).
The aim of the treatment is to help with energy or ‘qi’ imbalance. Acupressure unclogs the body’s built up energy in the meridian pathways while triggering the release of muscular tension and blood flow. This can help to restore the body to its equilibrium, while also working to relieve a range of physical and emotional ailments.
Types of acupressure massage treatments
Tui Na Chinese massage
One of the most common acupressure treatments is the ancient Tui Na Chinese massage. It involves a range of full body stretches and hand movements. Many of the techniques are similar to Western massage styles such as gliding, kneading, rolling, pulling and tapping. Stimulation of the acupoints is done by using knuckles, palms, fingers and thumbs to target key muscle groups. This therapy is considered to be more effective for healing very specific problems.
Shiatsu massage
Shiatsu is an ancient Japanese healing art that involves the use of hands, arms, legs and even feet to apply pressure to meridian points. Some versions do use other healing techniques. It also incorporates a number of different dance-like movements to stretch the body and to apply a very direct and firm pressure to the meridian points.
Similar to other forms of acupressure, the movements, pressure applied and meridian points will depend on the patient’s reason for choosing the therapy.
Su-jok massage
Originating from South Korea, Su-Jok is considered to be one of the simplest acupressure therapies. ‘Su Jok’ translates as ‘hand feet’. It is a healing art that concentrates on applying pressure to the acupoints on these body parts. The reason it focuses on the hands and feet is because the meridian points correspond to other organs in the body. Massaging these meridians enables fast healing through the qi energy pathways. Su-Jok is thought to provide swift relief. It is believed to be particularly good for chronic pain and tension-related problems.
Trigger point Therapy
Trigger pointing helps to decrease pain and relieve muscle tightness. It trigger pointing is an effective technique which is used to treat sensitive points and muscular knots. A trigger point is a specific point or area in a muscle that can cause pain to another part of the body, for example a trigger point in your shoulder could cause headaches or a trigger point on your neck can send referral pain to your back or shoulder.
If you have a latent trigger point you can release it yourself by finding the point and applying gentle pressure or you can see a professional to release your trigger points. Trigger point therapy works well in combination with dry needling and soft tissue massage.
What are the benefits of acupressure treatment?
Some medical research shows that acupressure treatments can help relieve certain types of pain. Acupresura can help with headaches, back pain , sciatica, fibromyalgia pain, insomnia, tight of stiff back, stress and tension.
Studies are still ongoing to find out how acupressure works. However, there isn’t any scientific evidence to either accept or reject the use of acupressure.
It’s worth noting that they have not ruled out the method of stimulating bioelectrical impulses on the body, or qi energy.
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