Acupressure is a manual therapy technique where palm, elbow, foot or thumb pressure is applied to the body along defined lines (known as energy meridians). The energy lines cover the entire body longitudinally and are the cornerstone of Traditional Chinese medicine, developed over 2,000 years of practice. Oriental medicine believes that disease and pain reside in both body and mind when energy flow through these lines becomes blocked or unbalanced. Acupuncture is the more well-known practice for balancing meridians and restoring smooth energy (Qi) flow. In acupuncture, the practitioner inserts fine needles superficially under the skin into one or several of 361 acupoints along the meridians to treat the patient. In Western practice, a similar technique called dry needling inserts the needles directly into localized pain regions to help “release” tight tissue and encourage pain relief.
Acupressure massage works in the same way as its needled counterparts, but manual pressure is used in place of needles. Acupressure is performed on bare skin or through light clothing, and oil/lubricant is rarely used. It’s a great option for anyone interested in exploring complementary medicine for aches and pains but is hesitant about needles.
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