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:
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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
So how does massage reduce pain? – Part 2
Previously I explained the scientific theory for "How does massage reduce muscle pain?" in the short term . But what about the long term? I would like to introduce to you the "descending pain suppression mechanism." The brain is not a passive receiver of sensory messages, but rather a centre that interprets them and makes constant adjustments accordingly. For example, everyone knows that the way you perceive pain will be influenced by whether you focus on it or think of something else instead. And it seems reasonable to suppose that evolutionary selection may have favoured those individuals who could ignore pain signals for long enough to take actions that let them escape and survive danger.
Unpleasant cutaneous sensations stimulate nuclei within the mid brain. These nuclei in turn initiate activity in the descending spinal tracts that release endogenous opiates (inhibitory neurotransmitters) within the spinal segment receiving the painful input. This diminishes the intensity of the pain transmitted to the higher centres. Sports and Deep Tissue massage techniques can reinforce a naturally occurring discomfort, causing much greater release of opiates and achieve a more profound pain suppression.
References Basbaum A, Fields H. (1978) Endogenous pain control mechanisms: review and hypothesis. Ann Neurol 4: 451-2. Watson J (1982) Pain mechanisms: a review. 3. Endogenous pain mechanisms. Australian Journal of Physiotherapy 27: 135-43
How to test if you have good posture
We all know that we need good posture. So today I wanted to share with you how to test if you have good posture.
The Wall Test - Stand with the back of your head touching the wall and your heels six inches from the baseboard. With your buttocks touching the wall, check the distance with your hand between your lower back and the wall, and your neck and the wall. If you can get within an inch or two at the low back and two inches at the neck, you are close to having excellent posture. If not, your posture may need professional attention to restore the normal curves of your spine.
The 'Jump' Test - Feel the muscles of your neck and shoulders. Do you find areas that are tender and sensitive? Are the buttock muscles sore when you apply pressure? What about the chest muscles?
If any of your muscles feel tight, sore or achy then why not book in for a massage.
Why do we sometimes recommend longer treatments?
In my last blog article, I explained the benefits including scientific evidence from a 15 minute Seated Acupressure Massage. So if 15 minutes has all these benefits, why do we offer 30 minute treatments and why do we sometimes recommend them? Quite simply, its based on experience. I find that some clients start to notice their neck & shoulder loosing mobility and their level of muscular tension increasing but they are too busy to book in. Frequently we find that people leave it 3 weeks before they book in or sometimes up to a month, by which time the knots have multiplied and grown!!! The 15 minute treatment is designed to nip things in the bud, before the tension gets chronic. However I appreciate that my clients have very busy lifestyles so this isn't always possible so we offer longer treatments. Finally, some people get home from work and instantly switch off while other people take a while. This different rate of response is what we as therapists see when we treat people, so we recognise when your muscles are releasing really slowly. Indeed over the years some of my clients have commented on how it took a long time for their right/left shoulder to relax. In cases where your muscles are releasing very slowly we often suggest you book a longer treatment.
