thigh massage

How to Apply Pressure

Use prolonged finger pressure directly on the point. Gradual, steady, penetrating pressure for approximately three minutes is ideal. Each point will feel somewhat different when you press it. Some points feel tense, while others are often sore or ache when pressed. A general guideline to follow is that the pressure should be something between pleasant, firm pressure and outright pain. The more developed the muscles are, the more pressure you should apply. If you feel extreme (or increasing) sensitivity or pain, gradually decrease the pressure until you find a balance between pain and pleasure. Acupressure is not meant to increase your tolerance of pain, so do not think of it as a test of endurance. Do not continue to press a point that is excruciatingly painful. Usually, however, if you firmly hold the point long enough (up to 2 minutes using the middle finger with your index and ring fingers on either side as support), the pain will diminish.

Note that sometimes when you hold a point, you’ll feel pain in another part of your body. This phenomenon is called referred pain and indicates that those areas are related. You should press points in these related areas as well to release blockages. The middle finger is the longest and strongest of your fingers and is best suited for applying self-acupressure. The thumb is strong, too, but often lacks sensitivity. If you find that your hand is generally weak or hurts when you apply finger pressure, you can use the knuckles or your fist or other tools, such as an avocado pit or a golf ball.

facial points for acupressure

Ways to Use Acupressure

Acupressure’s potent points can be used to enhance several aspects of life. In addition to managing stress, you can use acupressure to relieve and prevent sports injuries. Sports massage has been widely used by athletes before and after Olympic events. Acupressure compliments sports medicine treatments by using points and massage techniques to improve muscle-tone and circulation and relieve neuromuscular problems.

The Chinese have also used acupressure as a beauty treatment for thousands of years. You can use potent points to improve skin condition and tone and relax the facial muscles, which can lessen the appearance of wrinkles without medicines or cosmetics.

Acupressure’s Potent Points

Psychotherapy patients may derive benefits from acupressure by using it to heighten body awareness and deal with stress. When powerful emotions are free and unresolved, the body stores the resulting tension in the muscles. Acupressure can help restore emotional balance by releasing the accumulated tension caused by repressed feelings.

An acupressure point actually has two identities and ways of working. When you stimulate a point in the same area where you feel pain or tension, it’s called a local point. That same point can also relieve pain in a part of the body that is distant from the point, in which case it is called a trigger point. This triggering mechanism works through a human electrical channel called a meridian. The meridians are pathways that connect the acupressure points to each other as well as to the internal organs.