In this article
Summary
The system of putting pressure, as prescribed, on special points located in the human body, to cure the disease is called acupressure. The meaning of the word acupressure means pressure. Putting requisite pressure on the specified special points, different diseases are cured miraculously by this system.
PRINCIPLE OF ACUPRESSURE
According to this system, every disease is cured by treating the body as a single unit comprising of the physical and emotional forms. In acupressure system, from physical and emotional point of view, the human body is considered to be an integral unit.
The second important principle is that all the main centres of the blood circulating nerves, nervous system and glands are located in the palms and the soles of the feet. In this system, pressure is exerted on the pressure points located at different parts and from there the energy is circulated to all the nerves, nervous system and glands, which get energized and cured. Unbalanced-uncontrolled food, laziness-carelessness and violation of rules related to sleep and celibacy result in the accumulation of foreign matter in the body and absence of Asana and Pranayama etc. The organs and the muscles start becoming weak and the bones of the hands-feet and the spine start shifting from their positions. Functional activity of the entire nervous system slows down. Blood circulation in the body-parts is reduced. The chemical elements, toxic substances, foreign matter deposited in the blood, start accumulating around displaced joints. The more the number of such accumulations the more is the number of diseases that start erupting in the body. As soon as the functioning of the body parts decline, the related pressure points located on the palms and the soles of the feet also start getting blocked and some kind of minute chemical crystals deposited on the points, due to which there is improper blood circulation in the related parts. With acupressure, pressure is applied on those points so that the crystal deposits are destroyed, which regulates blood circulation and the effected parts become healthy. According to another point of view, our body is a combination of five elements. These five elements – Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Space/Sky are regulated by an electrical force, which is called bio-electricity or bio-energy. According to the famous acupressure practitioner F.M.Thestan ( The Healing Benefits of Acupressure ), all those points located in the hands, feet and various parts of the body which when pressed cause pain, energy of the related part leaks out of the body from these points. As a result, the concerned body parts develop some defect or disease. When we apply pressure on these points, leakage of electricity stops. With the stoppage of leakage, circulation of the electrical force in the related body parts become normal and the defects or disease developed in the body parts are cured.
7 MAIN EFFECTS OF ACUPRESSURE ON THE HUMAN BODY
- With the acupressure system the foreign matter is removed out of the body and necessary elements are produced by the internal immune system.
- This method, by awakening the electrical forces of the body, produces power, energy and activeness.
- It creates flexibility in all the muscular tissues of the body.
- It cures the deformities (pain, etc) in the bone system and spine which is an important part of the human body.
- Acupressure completely helps in removing the deformities of the nervous system.
- With this system, functioning of all endocrine glands like thyroid, pituitary, pineal, pancreas, etc can be regulated.
- With acupressure, adequate improvement in the normal functioning of the internal organs of the body can be brought about.
ACUPRESSURE – INDIAN KNOWLEDGE
Acupressure is the improved version of the ancient Indian deep massage system, which means curing the diseases by putting pressure on hands, feet, face and some special centres of the body. It is imperative to know why the Indian women have been wearing for ages anklets, toe-rings, bangles, pendants, lockets, tika (ornament put on the forehead), earrings, nose-pins, etc? Men and women have been wearing rings in their fingers for a long time. All this has been possible as a result of acupressure only.
TREATMENT OF MAJOR DISEASE WITH ACUPRESSURE
Even though acupressure has a special utility in all the disease, it is a harmless system and can be adopted along with other systems of medication. But few diseases, which can be successfully treated with acupressure, are as described below:
- World Health Organisation (WHO) has accepted the utility of acupressure and acupuncture systems of treatment and found them more effective in the treatment of all problems related to spine-sciatica, cervical-spondylitis, etc, frozen shoulders, pain in the knees, bed wetting, ulcer, dysentery, constipation, headache, migraine, deformity of nerves and veins, gas formation, acidity, swelling and pain in the throat, tonsils, sinusitis, bronchitis, asthma, eyes, ear and throat diseases, tooth-ache, paralysis and Meniere’s diseases, etc.
- The acupressure treatment system has been successfully used on thousands of patients, to cure the above-mentioned diseases. Many times, the patients have been benefited with astonishing results. In cases of severe cervical spondylitis, where the patients were unable to even move their necks, were treated to full recovery within a short period of time. Age-old chronic shoulder pain, in which case it was not possible to even move or raise the hand, it was completely cured with-in minutes. In our opinion, in all of bodily pains, joint-pains, backache or deformities of nerves and veins etc, acupressure gives relief so fast that cannot be achieved by any other system.
- Even in case of heart pain, acupressure gives quick relief and blockages in the arteries or any other problem can be cured by acupressure.
- This system is also effective in cases of stomach problems, diabetes and brain related ailments.
- Along with curing the diseases, acupressure is found to be very useful in disease-diagnosis. With this system, by applying pressure on different reflex centres, it can be found easily as to which parts of the body or glands are not performing their work properly. Many times, diagnostic tests carried out in the laboratories are also unable to detect the exact cause of the disease. In such a situation, by testing the reflex centres, it can be found out within seconds as to what part of the body is suffering from which type of aliment. Therefore, in this situation, the reflex centres are also called the mirrors of the diseases.
EXAMINATION OF THE REFLEX CENTRES AND METHODS OF APPLYING PRESSURE
- Acupressure can be performed with the help of the thumbs, fingers, or any other suitable equipment made of wood or plastic, etc as per the convenience.
- Do not put either excessive or very little pressure on the points, instead, pressure should be applied using reasonable force. While doing this, if anybody feels unbearable pain at the pressure points, then it should be understood that the part related to that reflex centre suffers from any defect or disease. Those reflex centres which when pressed do not cause excessive pain; imply the corresponding parts are healthy.
- When pressure is applied on the reflex centres, the crystals of toxins and foreign matter deposited in the arteries of the hands and feet slowly leave their place moving with the blood flow and finally leave the body through sweat or the kidney system. For this reason, while doing acupressure, after pressing the desired points, in the end the reflex centres of both kidneys should definitely be pressed for 1-2 minutes. With the pressure as the crystals leave their place the gravity of the disease also gets reduced in the same manner. As the intensity of the disease reduces, the pain at the reflex centres due to pressure also gets reduced and the patient himself also experiences relief in the disease. After doing it regularly for a few days, the disease is cured completely and the pain due to application of pressure either does not remain or is reduced considerably.
- In most of the patients at the beginning, when reflex centres are pressed and the crystals start leaving from their place, those points experience severe pain or even swelling. In this situation one should not worry as this is a natural phenomenon. When this happens, fomentation with lukewarm water mixed with salt should be done on those points, which relieves the pain and swelling.
TIME OF ACUPRESSURE
Normally acupressure can be done at any time. However, if acupressure is to be applied for stomach, intestines, liver and pancreas, etc then it should be done on empty stomach or two to three hours after the meals. After the meals since the entire body’s energy is being utilised in digesting the food, hence performing acupressure before meals are the best. In case if taking small amount of milk or fruit, after a short gap, acupressure can be done.
DURATION OF PRESSURE
Depending upon the type of disease, pressure on the specified points should be applied from 30 seconds to 2 minutes at each reflex centre. While applying pressure on any point, full care should be taken about the tolerance of the patient else many a times the patient may also faint. The same point should not be continuously pressed. Instead turn-by-turn different points should be pressed in rotation. Normally pressure should be applied twice a day in the morning and evening. In case of excessive pain, acupressure can also be applied thrice a day.
NUMBER OF PRESSURE POINTS
Chenchuyu Su Eh (Modern Acupressure) authored by Dr Chu Li Yen is considered to be the most authentic text published on this subject in China. This includes a list of 669 acupressure points. In some other charts, 1000 acupressure points have been shown. However, in daily application, mainly around 100 points are of greater importance.
The acupressure points (healing centres) situated in different parts of the body are useful in various disease have been shown in the pictures that follow. These pictures have been compiled (with thanks) from a book called “Natural Acupressure Treatment” written by Dr Atar Singh.
Source of information: YOG the Philosophy & Practice By Swami Ramdev
