Acupressure and Acupuncture News

Laboring Moms – Acupressure Helps!

Virpi Tervonen — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 14:29:00 +0000

Acupressure is a holistic system that builds on what the body is already doing right. In this way, the use of acupressure can be remarkably beneficial during pregnancy and labor in a number of ways. Treating specific acupressure points helps you to relax and relieve back pain or induce labor as well as. Because of the potential for this kind of response, it is important that you know a thing or two about what you are doing, and not attempt certain acupressure techniques until after your due date so as not to trigger labor prematurely.

Acupressure, however, can be used safely throughout pregnancy to relieve many discomforts and painful conditions. You can go to a specialist to get acupressure treatment done, or you can learn and apply it to yourself. It is also a great technique for fathers-to-be to learn, because it is a proactive way to get involved in the pregnancy and labor to give special relief for loved ones.

During your pregnancy you can utilize acupressure to get relief from backache and joint pain, and heartburn and high blood pressure as well. Acupressure is also a safe and effective way to relieve morning sickness and nausea, so there is no need to suffer from this discomfort which you cannot medicate during pregnancy.

During the third trimester, acupressure can also help to encourage a head down position for the baby so as to ensure a smoother birth. Stimulation of specific acupressure points is also widely used for inducing labor of full time pregnancies, because it triggers womb contractions. These and some other acupressure points can also be used during childbirth in order to encourage womb contractions and thus assist the labor.

Most women need some form of pain alleviation in case of severe pain during labor. Many people, however, don't want medication during labor for a variety of reasons, and acupressure provides a viable option to pain-relieving drugs. Acupressure can significantly ease the stress and reduce pain of childbirth without causing any side effects of drugs. In many cases, acupressure can at least reduce, if not compensate, the amount of anesthesia used in an epidural procedure, in which medication is administered into the spine. In addition to relieving pain, acupressure has been shown to shorten labor and combat exhaustion by increasing your energy.

Acupressure can also be used to provide postpartum pain and symptom relief, as well as restore vitality after childbirth. There are also specific acupressure points that stimulate lactation and helps nursing. Because of these various remarkable benefits, which acupressure has to offer, make acupressure part of your strategy for a healthy pregnancy, combined with other relaxation techniques for maximum effect.

Induce labor

Acupressure Lays Insomnia To Rest

Virpi Tervonen — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 09:48:00 +0000

Insomnia is more serious than being startled awake by every noise or tossing and turning while trying to fall asleep, because insomnia results in day-time tiredness, irritability and, at worst, depression. Insomnia is most often caused by sleep disorders, but also by emotional stress or stimulants. In addition to an overactive mind, stress, anxiety and fear, also caffeine, some medications and herbs easily disturb the quality of your sleep and cause sleeping problems. Physical pain is a common cause of insomnia as well. Short-time symptoms of insomnia are bearable, although frustrating, but night after night for months or years, the most serious issues of insomnia accumulate and can cause serious health problems.

Many insomniacs rely on sleeping tablets and other sedatives to try to get some rest. Others use herbs such as valerian, chamomile, lavender, or passion-flower. On the other hand, acupressure is a safe, drug-free technique that has been used to treat insomnia sufferers by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners for thousands of years. In many cases, acupressure is sufficient to break the insomnia cycle without the need for sedatives and sleeping tablets.

Acupressure, with its focus on healing whole syndromes rather than individual symptoms, has shown great success treating those who experience insomnia. It also has been widely successful in relieving depression, stress and physical pain. With ongoing studies showing promising results in the treatment of numerous health conditions, acupressure is gaining popularity as a way to overcome all kinds of troubling ailments. Some relatively recent areas of study include both alertness and fatigue, and this form of treatment can be beneficial in both instances as it works with the body’s vital energies. Acupressure can be used to help treat insomnia due in part to its benefits in promoting better overall health and relaxation, as well as the treatment of related problems such as back pain that may be contributing to the sleep disturbance.

Like other conditions which can benefit from acupressure treatment, using this approach to treating insomnia allows you to steer clear of medications that can lead to a host of side effects. Safe, natural, and drug-free, acupressure involves a whole approach to better health and wellness, and encourages you to become more in tune with your body’s needs. Pain and illness are indications of a problem that needs to be addressed, and acupressure works to solve the underlying issues, rather than just treat the symptoms.

Acupressure treatment can be administered by a trained practitioner, or you can learn techniques to help yourself. Either way, the benefits are likely to be numerous, as you improve the flow of vital energies throughout your body, and experience improved energy or relaxation.

Commonly noted benefits of acupressure include increased immune function and decreased stress levels, improved digestive abilities, better sleeping patterns, decrease in various pains and a general sense of well being, which are all excellent treatments for insomnia.

Acupressure and Holistic Medical System

What to Do When You Feel Nausea?

Virpi Tervonen — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 14:55:00 +0000

Nausea can be very disruptive, sudden and occur in embarrassing situations. And for sure it is always highly uncomfortable.

Anyone who has suffered from nausea knows that it is not always possible to get out of the situation or treat yourself with medication. And many times you need relief faster than that provided by the medical remedies.

Acupressure is a fast and very effective technique relieving nausea, especially when it is caused or worsened by physical or emotional distress. Self treatment of specific acupoints gives relief from motion sickness, whether it is due to traveling in a car, boat or an airplane. Nausea caused by nervousness, use of alcohol or some drugs, and abdominal imbalances can also be effectively relieved by acupressure.

Acupressure is also highly recommended to relieve morning sickness during pregnancy, because as a drug-free alternative it is absolutely safe to use. Acupressure beats nausea by blocking signals that trigger the nausea response and promote relaxation. Thus it uses your body’s own systems to restore the balance.

Because treating the acupressure points that relieve nausea works in just few minutes and the techniques are so simple that you can teach them to your own child for motion sickness, acupressure provides an unbeatable means to combat nausea.

Acupressure techniques are easy to apply at home or even out in public, as you do not require special equipment. Discovering and treating a few pressure points can bring you enormous relief from nausea without disturbing anyone, attracting unwanted attention, or interfering with whatever else is going on around you.

Acupressure and Holistic Medical System

Cure Your Headache – Without Pills

Virpi Tervonen — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 06:49:00 +0000

Acupressure has many applications in the management of pain and illness. For chronic headache sufferers, this provides a powerful alternative to taking bottles of painkillers which can lead to serious side effects, addiction and decreased effectiveness over time. A drug-free approach to creating better health and wellness, acupressure is definitely something worth considering if you are experiencing any number of chronic pain issues.

Drawing on centuries of Chinese medical knowledge, acupressure is just one form of numerous bodywork approaches that concentrate on the body’s vital energy flow. Pain and illness is viewed in terms of energy blockage, and using acupressure to resolve this results in both alleviating the symptoms present, and promoting good health overall. By simply applying pressure to specific areas, you can stimulate or relax the related organs or muscles, bringing much needed relief.

Thus, acupressure stimulates your body’s self curative abilities, which is opposed to common painkillers. Acupressure is one of the safest and most effective ways known to control and cure headaches. You do not need any previous knowledge about massage, nor be a medical professional in order to utilize acupressure. Because of the simplicity, safety and effectiveness of the acupressure, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends it for pain relief.

You can practice acupressure on yourself, family member or a friend. You can use the pressure points when a problem first becomes evident, and prevent the development of the headache, or reduce its severity. By listening to your body’s pain signals, you can take the appropriate action to avoid pain and discomfort. It makes sense to take preventive measures rather than have to deal with the aftermath of a full blown headache, which can disrupt your routine and leave you exhausted.

Just by using one or two acupressure points can be remarkably effective for getting relief from headaches. In addition to that, acupressure is a treatment you can take with you everywhere you go, and it is easy and effortless to apply. For frequent and chronic headache sufferers acupressure may offer a whole new way of life.

Ask your about acupressure for headaches at
www.homebackpainacupressure.com/headache/headache_question.html

Acupressure and Holistic Medical System

Beat back pain with acupressure

Virpi Tervonen — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 12:15:00 +0000

Recent findings published in the British Medical Journal have confirmed the effectiveness of acupressure treatment for sufferers of lower back pain. Acupressure is an ancient Chinese medical practice which targets the same acupoints used in acupuncture. The difference is that acupressure uses pressure rather than needles. The pressure is most commonly applied with fingertips on the specific acupressure points on your skin.

This latest research is significant in showing better results using acupressure than other methods of physical therapy. Lower back pain is often a chronic and disabling condition, so these results are encouraging for sufferers the world over. After six acupressure treatments, study participants reported both an immediate improvement in their condition, and the results were long lasting.

Using drug-free approaches to pain management is essential especially when pain is chronic in order to avoid problems with harmful side-effects, such as cardiac dysfunction, bleeding gut and liver and kidney failure, over time. It is also important to utilize treatment that actually works on improving the condition, rather than just masking the symptoms. Because acupressure does both, it is very effective and safe in curing ailments and promoting health.

Over the past thirty years, many Western scientific institutions have shown the effectiveness of acupressure in treating back pain. Research at these top institutes has clearly shown that acupressure works on the physical, not psychological, healing system of the body. Thus you don't need to be a “believer” to gain back pain relief by acupressure, like millions of people already have.

For a full back treatment you will need to see an acupressure practitioner. Luckily, most of the techniques used by the professional acupressure massagers you can use yourself to reduce pain and heal your lower back. Take a step towards better self-care today, and take advantage of this ancient approach to health and wellness.

Acupressure helps you to get relief from lower back pain.

Acupressure and Holistic Medical System

Combat Sleepiness Using Acupressure

Virpi Tervonen — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 14:45:00 +0000

We all have trouble sometimes staying awake in situations that need focus and concentration. High-sugar snacks and caffeine are among the most common means to extend one’s ability to concentrate and stay alert. Unfortunately, frequent use of handfuls of sweets and liters of coffee cause unwanted side-effects, such as weight gain and upset stomach. Sugar and caffeine are also an empty fix. When sugar and caffeine are digested, the body does get an initial boost. This boost, however, is short-lived and crashes, often times leaving you more tired and more energy depleted than before.

That is why a recent study made at the University of Michigan highly encourages those of us suffering from fatigue, or having difficulty concentrating during any focused activity. Researchers found a way to combat the sleepiness and stay awake, and it doesn't have anything to do with consumption of stimulants, natural or synthetic.

The study was done with students, who were taught to self-administer acupressure points on their legs, feet, hands and heads. Students rated their levels of sleepiness using the validated Stanford Sleepiness Scale. Remarkably, the students who treated the stimulation acupressure points were significantly more alert and less fatigued than the students in group treating other points.

More commonly, acupressure is known as a method of treating pain and illness. Pressure applied on specific pressure points stimulates or relaxes corresponding muscles or other bodily processes. With stress related illness on the rise, acupressure is a very powerful tool for combating muscle tension, headaches, and back and neck pain. Because acupressure techniques are simple and can be applied to oneself, it is an easy method of treating numerous ailments as we engage in daily work activities, without excessively disrupting our busy schedules.

The fact that acupressure increases alertness and combats fatigue is absolutely great news, because other approaches to the self-treatment of fatigue often involve the use of stimulants, acupressure provides a drug free alternatives to this. Now also you can utilize easy and effective acupressure in any number of situations in order to be more alert, concentrate better and perform more efficiently.

Acupressure and Holistic Medical System

Acupressure Can Prevent Brain Shrinkage in Back Pain Sufferers

Virpi Tervonen — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 08:07:00 +0000

Current evidence suggests that suffering from back pain can actually shrink your brain. This is worrying because back pain is a common health problem worldwide. Back pain affects up to two-thirds of the adult population annually, which alone causes huge losses due to days off from work and school. Managing back pain is more important than ever, not only because of its economic costs, but also because of the newly discovered negative effect it has on the brain.

The good news is that back pain research has shown that simple methods can be very effective in reducing back pain. Recent findings have established that acupressure, an ancient Chinese healing technique, is more effective than standard physical therapies in relieving back pain.

Acupressure uses the same points as acupuncture, but instead of needles, acupressure uses nothing more than the fingertips. Because acupressure is non-invasive, it is one of the safest healing techniques known. And because it is efficient, acupressure is recommended for pain relief by respected health institutions, such as the WHO.

The benefits of back pain acupressure are tremendous and can bring almost instant relief to persons with back pain. An ordinary back pain sufferer can easily self-manage his or her lower back pain, sciatica, stiff neck and shoulder pain using simple acupressure techniques.

For more information about relieving back pain naturally using safe and effective acupressure techniques, visit www.HomeBackPainAcupressure.com.

References:
Apkarian V. A. et al. (2004) Chronic Back Pain Is Associated with Decreased Prefrontal and Thalamic Gray Matter Density. J. Neurosci. 24: 10410-10415.

Li-Chen Hsieh L et al. (2006) Treatment of low back pain by acupressure and physical therapy: randomised controlled trial. BMJ 332: 696-700.

Acupressure and Holistic Medical System

Acupressure and Holistic Medical System

Virpi Tervonen — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 12:58:00 +0000

Holistic Medical System is actually an approach to life. Rather than focusing on illness or specific parts of the body, this approach to health considers the whole person and how he or she interacts with his or her environment. It emphasizes the connection of mind, body, and spirit. The goal is to achieve maximum well-being, where everything is functioning the very best that is possible. With Holistic Medical System people accept responsibility for their own level of well-being, and everyday choices are used to take charge of one's own health.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a Holistic Medical System and acupressure is one form of TCM. The Holistic Medical System of Acupressure was developed in Asia around 5,000 years ago.

Acupressure utilizes the same reference point on the body than acupuncture. But rather than stimulating acupuncture points with needles, acupressure involves placing physical pressure by hand, elbow, or with the aid of various devices on different acupuncture points.

According to the ideas of Holistic Medical System, 12 main meridians, six of which are yin and six are yang and numerous minor ones, form a network of energy channels throughout the body. The acupressure points are locations where the energy (qi or chi) of the channels rises close to the surface of the body. According to the ideas of Holistic Medical System, acupressure is used to regulate or correct the flow of energy (qi) to restore health.

As being a Holistic Medical System, acupressure is very beneficial as it can relieve pain and bring the body back into harmonious balance. Acupressure's healing ability promotes stress reduction, improves circulation, relaxes the body and strengthens the immune system. Thus, acupressure and Holistic Medical System enable you to live a long, healthy life.

© 2006 Virpi Tervonen

Feel free to publish this article on your web page, in your newsletter or e-zine etc. Just publish the resource box below with the article.

Resource box:
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Discover safe and effective acupressure techniques that help you to get drug-free back pain relief at http://www.HomeBackPainAcupressure.com. Virpi Tervonen reveals the most effective acupressure points that relieve lower back and hip pain, sciatica, and stiff shoulders and neck in her new acupressure guide. These safe and simple techniques are demonstrated step-by-step in numerous descriptive photos and video clips. Visit www.HomeBackPainAcupressure.com for more information.

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