Acupressure Articles

Acupressure Efficacy & Research
Michael Reed Gach, Ph.D.
Author of the Best Selling:
Acupressure’s Potent Points
Acupressure for Emotional Healing

Acupressure Risk and Safety
Foremost among the advantages of acupressure’s healing touch is that it is safe to do on yourself and others—even if you’ve never done it before—so long as you follow the instructions and pay attention to the cautions. There are no side effects from drugs, because there are no drugs. The only equipment needed is your hands. Patients can thus practice acupressure safely anytime, anywhere. Acupressure’s Efficacy Most of the acupressure research has used the P6 point for treating nausea. Acupressure research by Dundee, Yang (1990) has shown that P6 can be effective for 8 hours to substitute for conventional antiemetic therapy. Dundee, Yang also showed that the application of an elasticized wristband with a stud placed over the P6 point and pressed regularly every two hours will prolong its antiemetic action for 24 hours. This proved to be more effective in hospital patients (20/20) than in outpatients (15/20), presumably due to the constant encouragement given to regularly press the stud. Although nausea and vomiting remain problems with cancer in chemotherapy, pressure on the P6 acupressure point had an antiemetic action when using the “Sea Band”, a commercially available elasticized or Velcro band with a plastic or magnetic stud. The effect of using P6 on post-operative vomiting in children was studied by Lewis, Tryn, Reynolds, Pandit, Wilton (1991). Sixty-six patients ages 3-12 years, undergoing outpatient surgery to correct strabismus, were allocated randomly to receive either bilateral P6 acupressure or a placebo during the post-perioperative period. Acupressure on P6 did not reduce the incidence of post-operative children undergoing strabismus surgery. Another acupressure research study on post-operative nausea was performed by Barsoum, Perry, Fraser (1990). One-hundred and sixty-two general surgical patients were randomized for one of the following three treatments for post-operative nausea and vomiting: (1) acupressure using elastic bands containing a plastic button to apply sustained pressure at the P6 point above the wrist, (2) control dummy bands without the pressure button, and (3) antiemetic injections of prochiorperazine with each opiate given and as required. The incidence of post-operative vomiting and the need for unplanned antiemetic injections were also reduced by acupressure, but this was not statistically significant. Therefore, the author concluded that acupressure can work and should be investigated in other clinical situations. Acupressure Healing Applications & Health Conditions Acupressure is primary for prevention and relieving symptoms due to muscle tension. Acupressure point stimulation is adjunctive for most diseases. The following conditions respond the most favorably to acupressure therapy using the ranking system on a 1 to 5 scale as follows: ¨ Number 1. Acupressure is the first choice for this complaint or ailment. When I think of this symptom, my particular therapy springs to mind. ¨ Number 2. Acupressure is the second choice for this complaint or ailment. Acupressure therapy is a good runner-up as a highly effective therapy. ¨ Number 3. Acupressure is a valuable adjunctive therapy -- best for dealing with this complaint as an adjunct with another complimentary therapy. ¨ Number 4. Acupressure with other adjunctive therapies is useful for this ailment; it plays a role in helping, but not critically so. ¨ Number 5. Acupressure’s use is optional and may be included as one of many therapies that some practitioners may or may not use for this ailment. ¨ Number 0 indicates that Acupressure may have little or no effect on this condition. Addictions 3 AIDS 4 Allergies 3 Alzheimer's Disease 4 Amenorrhea 2 Ankle Sprain 2 Anxiety 1 Arthritis 2 Asthma 2 Autism 4 Back Pain 2 Hypertrophy 3 Bladder Infection 3 Bronchitis 3 Cancer 4 Candidiasis 5 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 1 Cataracts 5 Cervical Cancer 4 Chickenpox 5 Childbirth 2 Childhood Parasites 5 Children's Health 2 Chlamydia 5 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 1 Chronic Pain 1 Colds & Flus 2 Colic 2 Colitis 3 Crohn's Disease 3 Conjunctivitis 3 Constipation 1-3 Diabetes 2-3 Diarrhea 3 Diverticulitis 3 Ear infections 3 Edema 3 Emphysema 3 Endometriosis 3 Female Health 1-2 Fever 3 Fibrocystic Breast Disease 2-3 Fibromyalgia 1-3 Gastritis 2-3 Gastrointestinal Disorders 2-3 General Ear Pain 3 Genital Warts 0 Glaucoma 3 Gout 3 Hay Fever 2-3 Head Lice 0 Headaches 1-3 Hearing Disorders 3 Hearing Loss 4 Heart Disease 3-5 Hemorroids 3 Herpes 4 Hiccups 2 Hyperactivity 3 Hypertension 3 Immune Boosting 3 Impotence 3 Infections 5 Insomnia 2 Irritable Bowel Syndrome 3 Jaw Problems 2 Jet Lag 2-3 Lazy Eye 3 Lung Cancer 5 Muscular Degeneration 3-4 Male Health 1-2 Measles 4 Meniere's Disease 4 Menopause 1-3 Menorrhagia 4 Menstrual Cramps 1 Mental Health 2-3 Morning Sickness 2 Motion Sickness 2 Multiple Sclerosis 3 Mumps 5 Neck Pain 1 Nausa 1-2 Night Blindness 4 Obesity and Weight Management 3 Osteoarthritis 2-3 Osteoporosis 3 Otitis Media 3-4 Ovarian Cancer 4 Ovarian Cysts 4 Periodic Leg Movement Syndrome 2 Pinworms 0 Pneumonia 4 Poor Circulation 2-3 Poor Eyesight 2-3 Postpartum Care 2 Preconception 3 Pregnancy 2 Premenstrual Syndrome 2 Prostatic Cancer 4-5 Prostatitis 4 Respiratory Conditions 2-3 Restless Leg Syndrome 2 Retinal Detachment 5 Retinopathy 3-4 Rheumatoid Arthritis 4 Sciatica 2 Sexually Transmitted Diseases 5 Shoulder Pain 2 Sinusitis 3 Sleep Apnea 4 Sleep Disorders 3 Stomachache 2-3 Strep Throat 3 Stress 1 Tinnitus 2-3 TMJ 1 Trichomonas 5 Ulcers 3 Uterine Fibroids 4 Vaginal Infection 5 Viral and Bacterial Infections 5 Vision Disorders 4 Water Retention 3 Wellness 1 Yeast infections 4 According to Dr. Serizawa, a Japanese physician, who regularly uses acupressure in his medical research and practice: The ailments from which acupressure points can offer relief are numerous and include the following: symptoms of chilling; flushing; pain, and numbness; headaches; heaviness in the head; dizziness; ringing in the ears; stiff shoulders arising from disorders of the autonomic nervous system; constipation; sluggishness; chills of the hands and feet; insomnia; malformations of the backbone frequent in middle age and producing pain in the shoulders, arms, and hands; pains in the back; pains in the knees experienced during standing or going up or down stairs. Whether used to relieve pain and muscular discomfort or to prevent illness, acupressure techniques are intended to correct imbalances, working toward the regulation and harmony of all systems of the body. Since acupressure points require no special tools, and many people respond to the touch of hands-on contact more than they trust needles, the growing appeal of the ancient Chinese healing arts has led to increased interest in acupressure as a means toward optimum wellness. Practical Acupressure Applications The healing touch of acupressure reduces tension, increases circulation and enables the body to relax deeply. A medical physician can show patients self-care applications using the best selling, fully illustrated self-acupressure treatment guild from A to Z for common ailments entitled Acupressure’s Potent Points (Bantam Books, 1990). Doctors an also refer their patients to professional acupressure practitioners through the AOBTA. ( www.aobta.org ) By relieving stress, acupressure points strengthen resistance to disease and promote wellness. Acupressure Therapy is beneficial in stressful situations, for PTSD Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, muscular pain discomforts, sleep disorders, anxiety, and emotional distress. There are specific acupressure points that have been traditionally used to treat insomnia, back pain, muscular pain, spasms, restlessness, and muscle tension. Holding acupressure points releases pain and tension to relax significantly.

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