Acupressure is a strategy utilised in Conventional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that is really similar to acupuncture. Instead of needles, instruments or fingers apply direct stress on certain points of the body in order to alleviate symptoms or to help different organs or systems of the physique.

Acupressure is widely utilized in Asia, but it hasn’t been completely accepted by the Western medical establishment. Element of the purpose is that Western medicine utilizes science as the predominant technique for determining whether a practice or therapy is effective. For most of acupressure’s history, it has relied on non-scientific word of mouth for its optimistic reputation.

In current years, however, each Eastern and Western medicine have worked together to scientifically test the efficacy of this form of physical therapy. These days I’m going to share some of the current findings on this ancient practice. In particular, I want to focus on chronic circumstances that may possibly benefit from this protected and organic practice.

Acupressure vs. Dysmenorrhea

Dysmenorrhea refers to a discomfort situation that accompanies a woman’s monthly cycle. Most girls knowledge some degree of discomfort and discomfort in the course of that time of the month. But in the case of dysmenorrhea, the discomfort is classified as being extreme and usually debilitating.

A Korean study, in the International Journal of Nursing Research, set out to establish no matter whether acupressure could assist alleviate some of the much more acute effects of dysmenorrhea.

58 college-aged females participated in this experiment. Half of the girls were subjected to a course of acupressure to a certain point, identified as the “SP6 acupoint”. The other half were used as a “control” group, to help provide a comparison to the acupressure remedy group.

The remedy group received acupressure within 8 hours of menstruation. The researchers measured the symptoms relating to dysmenorrhea just before the acupressure was applied, 30 minutes afterward and also at the 1, two and three hour mark – following the administration of acupressure.

The researchers located that there was a significant reduction in the severity of symptoms right away right after treatment. The impact appeared to final for up to 2 hours right after the therapy ended.

As a outcome of these findings, the authors concluded that acupressure, “can be an powerful non-invasive nursing intervention for alleviation of principal dysmenorrhea, with effects lasting 2h post treatment.”

Pregnancy Assistance through Acupressure

A single of the most typical and unwelcome symptoms of pregnancy is “morning sickness”. In February of 2008, a study appeared in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice that examined the function that acupressure can play in easing pregnancy connected nausea and vomiting.

Before I talk about the specifics of the trial, I want to note that the researchers particularly recruited pregnant ladies who could not take standard drugs to treat their symptoms. For the duration of pregnancy several medical doctors and their individuals try to keep away from providing and taking drugs if it’s not completely necessary.

In this study, a group of 26 girls were asked to put on an “acupressure band” for three days. The (wrist)band applied stress to the P(6) acupressure point – which is indicated for stomachaches, vomiting and a whole host of unrelated symptoms. A separate group of girls also wore an acupressure wristband, but did not have therapeutic stress applied to the P(6) point.

The group that wore the wristband (applying stress to the P(six) point) identified an improvement in the manage and/or alleviation of “morning sickness” symptoms.

Acupressure on palmCatching Some Z’s with Acupuncture

If you go into a conventional doctor’s office and complain of sleeping difficulties, you will probably stroll out with a prescription for a effective sleeping pill, and that pill could or might not function for you. But what you can count on is the need to have to continue taking that pill extended term – unless you discover a way to address the underlying result in of your sleeplessness. Acupressure may possibly give an alternative to sleep medicines. A few current research provide evidence to support this mind/physique alternative.

Two research have been released in December of 2008. The very first one enrolled 25 volunteers with sleep disorders. All of the volunteers had the HT 7 acupressure point stimulated every evening for two weeks. In this instance, a health-related device was employed alternatively of a practitioner’s fingers or a wristband.

60% of the volunteers (15 of the 25) seasoned an improvement in sleep high quality. As an interesting side note, 14 of the 25 volunteers were also suffering from cancer. In these participants, the price of efficacy was even greater, at a 79% good results price.

A second study was published that very same month to figure out if stimulating the HT 7 acupressure point may have some effect on melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone created primarily by the pineal gland. The brain produces it to support handle sleep and wake cycles. Melatonin is directly involved in our typical sleep patterns. As a result, a lot of individuals use supplemental melatonin to support promote a excellent night’s rest.

In this existing study, 40 individuals with insomnia had been split up into two groups. One group received stress therapy on their HT 7 point, even though the other group did not.This trial lasted a total of 20 nights.

Both groups had been asked to total healthcare questionnaires relating to their levels of anxiousness and sleep high quality. Urine samples have been also collected to decide the amount of melatonin in their systems.

The authors of the study examined all the questionnaires and the biological samples and found that there was a reduction in anxiousness and an improvement in sleep quality in those volunteers that received the acupressure remedy. There was yet another finding that may support to clarify this outcome. The sufferers receiving acupressure had larger levels of melatonin. A higher quantity of the remedy group had what was regarded “regular” melatonin levels. No safety troubles were discovered with the use of the acupressure healthcare device.

Acupressure is a type of therapy that you can acquire from a trained overall health specialist, a industrial wrist band or a health-related device. You can even apply it to your self by utilizing a self-assist book.

It is a single of many all-natural options that, if powerful for you, can permit you to avoid the use of certain medicines and could conceivably increase the high quality of your life.

Be effectively!

JP