What is Acupressure Massage?

What is Acupressure?

Acupressure has its roots in traditional Chinese and Japanese cultures through Shiatsu and Anma.

How does Acupressure Work?

Acupressure points are places on the body that are especially sensitive to bioelectrical impulses and conduct these impulses readily.  In Chinese medicine terms acupressure points are junctions on the meridians that carry human energy, which the Chinese call Chi and the Japanese call Ki.  Western scientists have also mapped out and proven the existing of this system of acupressure points by using sensitive electrical devices.  Stimulating these acupressure points with pressure, acupressure massage triggers the release of endorphins which are the neurochemicals that relieve pain.

Tension tends to concentrate around the acupressure points.  When a muscle is chronically tense or in spams, the muscle fibres contract due to the secretion of lactic acid caused by fatigue, trauma, stress, chemical imbalances or poor circulation.  When acupressure points are pressed, the muscle tension yields to the pressure, enabling the muscle fibres to elongate and relax.

Seated Acupressure Massage incorporates the pressing of a number of acupressure points, depending upon the length of treatment up to 100 points may be stimulated.  Below are the some of the points that may be incorporated into a Seated Acupressure Massage for someone who is experience neck pain or stiffness:

  GV16 Wind Mansion – which aids the release of headaches, stiff necks and neck pain.
GB20 Gates of Consciousness – which aid the release of neck pain and headaches.
TW16 Window of heaven – aids the release of stiff necks, shoulder & neck pain and headaches.
B10 Heavenly Pillar – which helps relieves stress and stiff necks.
GB21  Shoulder Well – which as the name suggests helps relieve tension and pain in the shoulders.

 

What is the difference between Acupressure and Acupuncture?

With acupressure the acupressure points are stimulated with pressure, with acupuncture the same acupressure points are stimulated with needles.

What is the difference between Acupressure and Seated Acupressure Massage?

Seated Acupressure Massage is very modern; it was created in 1984 by David Palmer who used traditional Acupressure techniques to give 15 minute treatments on the neck & shoulders of clothed employees at Apple Computers in the USA to relieve neck & shoulder pain.

You can think of Seated Acupressure Massage as utilising the ancient wisdom and healing art of acupressure to address the modern office woes of stiffness due to muscular tension and pain in the upper back, neck and shoulders.

Related Posts

  • What is NMT or Neuromuscular Technique?

    NMT (Neuromuscular Technique) is a soft tissue technique developed in the 1930's by Dr Stanley Lief.  NMT is the application of quasi-static pressure perpendicular to the skin with the aim of releasing pain and tension in muscles (normally in skeletal muscles). Neuromuscular Technique is used by

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    • Chiropractors
    • Massage Therapists
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    • trigger points
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  • Are acupressure points the same as trigger points?

    In last week's article entitled Why do your muscles hurt? I explained what trigger points were.   In this article I want to explain the difference between acupressure points and trigger points. Acupressure points (are the same points used by Acupuncturists) are situated on the meridians.  With acupressure they are stimulated by the application of pressure from the fingers & elbows to relieve

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    • muscular tension
    • headaches
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  • Elbow Pain

    Recently we have treated a few cases of elbow pain. TennisElbowandGolfersElbow There are two common site for elbow pain, the outside edge of the elbow which is often an indication of tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis and the inside edge of the elbow which is often an indication of glofer's elbow or medial epicondylitis.   With both of these conditions the pain may radiate up the arm and / or down along the forearm. Both conditions can be caused by precise wrist movements from using a mouse or keyboard.  As the name suggests tennis elbow can be caused by faulty backhand technique when playing tennis.  While golfer's elbow can be caused by poor technique when playing Golf or faulty forehand technique when playing tennis. In addition tennis elbow can be caused by carrying heavy shopping bags as it causes tension in the wrist extensors. Most of the cases we see are caused by long hours using computers.  The first thing we do is try and establish the cause of the pain, which can be tightness or spasm in the muscles of the forearm, neck or shoulders and then treat accordingly.  We can also show you simple stretches to stretch out the muscles of the forearm. What surprised us, and prompted me to write this blog is that they all the clients had just assumed that elbow pain was something that they just had to lived with.  In all the cases we dramatically reduced the pain and in most cases after a few treatments the clients were pain free!  So don't sit their in pain, book a massage.