With the rise of office work and increasingly sedentary lifestyles, back and muscle pain has become endemic worldwide. There are several treatments available. One of the more successful and innovative wellness treatments is acupressure massage.
Many people are curious to know what is acupressure massage. Acupressure massage is a muscle and tissue massage therapy based on ancient Chinese medicine practices, where specific acupressure points are targeted with massage to relieve pain around the whole body.
This massage can effectively treat various ailments, and many patients find the relief they’ve been looking for through this ancient yet modern treatment.
History of Acupressure Massage
Acupressure massage is a massage therapy technique based on ancient Chinese medicine and healing techniques. The beginnings of this practice date back thousands of years and can be traced to an ancient text called The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Cannon. This book began a long tradition connecting health and wellness with a concept known as “qi.”
Qi is variously translated as spirit or life force. TCM believes that this force flows through the body, and if blocked at different points, it can cause pain or ailment. Qigong or qi practice is the movement or stimulation of different parts of the body to help the qi flow better through the body and help the body be healthier as a result.
This practice has been modified and refined over the centuries, with numerous works combining empirical observation and spiritual beliefs based on Daoism and Buddhism. Some of the most famous thinkers in Chinese history, such as Zhang Zhongjing, have added their knowledge and understanding to these practices, which are still developing today.
Acupressure, and what is acupressure today, has been understood and written about since around the third century CE when Huangfu Mi published his foundational text on acupressure called The AB Canon Of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Since then, the study has been refined and further detailed in the modern era.
What Are Acupressure Points?
Acupressure points are locations on the body where a massage intervention is particularly effective. These locations are based on the idea of body meridians. The meridians are believed to be channels or pathways through which the body force or qi flows.
A Chinese medicine practitioner may believe you have several blocked meridians and treat your ailment by massaging the corresponding acupressure points or treating them with acupuncture. This approach opens your meridians and lets the qi flow. There are several meridians around the body. You can see significant wellness benefits when your qi flows freely from point to point and is free from blockages.
As the meridians are believed to connect the entire body, an acupressure point might not directly correspond to the part of the body in pain. For example, an acupressure point on your feet might relieve stomach pain, or a point on your hands might alleviate a headache. According to TCM, these areas are connected by the same meridian, so freeing the movement of qi in one area helps heal the interconnect issue.
Over the centuries, Chinese medicine scholars have produced detailed maps and guides to all the meridians and corresponding acupressure points. An acupressure massage practitioner can consult these detailed guides to open all meridians associated with any areas of the body experiencing pain.
What is Acupressure Massage?
Acupressure massage uses the traditional Chinese medicine knowledge of meridians to open up the flow of qi through the body’s meridians by targeting specific acupressure points with massage techniques.
Acupressure massage is a multistep process that holistically treats muscle, tendon, and ligament pain. First, your masseuse discusses your symptoms of discomfort to try and locate which meridians might be blocked. Your masseuse uses a detailed guide to help them understand the source of your pain and how it is causing issues in other parts of your body.
During the massage, your masseuse focuses on specific acupressure points that might be ‘closed’ and try to open them again through deep tissue and pressure massage. Your masseuse presses firmly on the acupressure point with their fingers to stimulate and release the qi energy.
Your masseuse examines all points along the meridian causing your symptoms to ensure that there are no qi flow blockages. They may also massage sore or painful areas directly to help release muscle tension.
Why is Acupressure Massage Beneficial?
It is possible that your issues only manifest in one or a few locations, but its causes may stem from other misaligned or strained parts of your body. Studying your body’s meridians will help your practitioner discover hidden sources of discomfort and treat them along with the direct causes of pain.
Acupressure massage therapy also tries to treat your body as a whole instead of a collection of separate systems. Understanding the flow of qi through your body requires treating the entire body to achieve holistic wellness. Your massage practitioner improves your well-being with acupressure massage to help you feel better mentally and physically. This unique approach to treatment provides an integrative approach to pain relief and wellness.
Is Acupressure Massage Right for Me?
Many people are curious about what is acupressure massage and whether it is a suitable treatment option. Acupressure massage is a healing approach that offers many benefits and can address different types of pain and discomfort. This ancient, holistic healing practice can help treat your pain by examining the root causes and looking at interconnected systems that might be causing you discomfort.
Wayne Massage offers several types of acupressure massage, including a bespoke form of meridian massage that treats qi blockages and aims to treat the whole body rather than narrowly focus on individual muscles. Schedule your acupressure massage with Wayne Massage today by calling (02) 8073 9376 or booking online.
References
Shennong History
http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/history/zhou.html
The Efficacy of Acupressure for Symptom Management: A Systematic Review
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3154967/
The Efficacy of Acupressure for Symptom Management: A Systematic Review
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0885392411000765
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