True and Useful™

Acupressure Point: Middle Palace (Lu 1)

According to the theory of Acupressure, the
Middle Palace Point (Lu 1) can be helpful in opening or expanding the breathing, and may be helpful in relieving coughs and upper back/shoulder tension. Lu 1 is also associated with support for grief, depression or feelings of emptiness (see December 17, 2008 post: What is Acupressure?). 

Location: On the top of the chest, under the shoulder, locate the depression under the end of the clavicle, next to the muscle. Lu 1 is one thumb width under this point, slightly to the side.

Press into the point gradually and gently with the middle fingertip.  Once you have reached a depth that may feel slightly uncomfortable, hold the fingertip at that depth for 1 minute as you breathe slowly and deeply. 

Another approach is to feel the point on both the left and right sides (same location) to determine if one side is more sensitive or painful than the other.  If so, apply gradual pressure for one minute on the less sensitive or painful point, then continue with pressure for one minute on the more sensitive or painful point.

You can also apply a massaging motion for an additional minute by gently moving three fingertips in a small circular motion on and around the point.

Breathing slowly and gradually deeper as you are able during the entire touching of Lu 1 is recommended for maximum benefit.

Caution: This acupressure information is not a substitution for qualified medical advice. If you don't know what is causing pain or other symptoms, consult a medical doctor before you start treating yourself.

Acupressure Points: Sleep Better

According to the theory of Acupressure, there are three areas – on your wrist, your face, and the back of your head – that may be helpful if you’re having difficulty falling asleep. (see December 17, 2008 post: What is Acupressure?). 

Gently press on the specified points and surrounding areas using your fingertips, steadily or with a small circular massage motion, for approximately one minute.  After a break, you can repeat alternating pressure and breaks until you feel a sort of release.  Beginners should not exceed 5 minutes on any one point.

How do you know whether you have the right spot?  The pressure points “announce themselves with a feeling of tenderness, tingling, soreness, or minor discomfort,” explains Michael Castleman in Nature Cures.

1. The Hand: With your palm facing up, find the juncture where the wrist meets the hand with the thumb of your other hand; rub just below the first crease of the wrist.

2. The Face: Using the tips of your index and third fingers, apply pressure to the spot between your eyebrows, at the juncture of the bridge of your nose and your forehead.

3. The Back of Your Head: Gently massage the pressure points at the indentation at the base of the skull on the back of the head; move outward an inch on both sides of the skull at the hairline.

Adapted from Sleep Soundly Tonight
by Barbara L. Heller (Storey Books, 2001).

Acupressure Point: Sea of Tranquility

According to the theory of Acupressure, the Sea of Tranquility, also referred to as Conception Vessel 17, can help reduce the effects of stress and restore a sense of calm. 
 
Location: On the center of the breastbone, three thumb widths up from the base of the bone.

Benefits: This point can help relieve nervousness, anxiety, chest tension and other emotional imbalances.

An effective way to work with the Sea of Tranquility is to lightly place the middle fingertip directly on the point while allowing your index and ring fingertips to rest gently just above and below the point next to the middle finger.

Try the gentle placement of your fingertips on the area of the Sea of Tranquility along with a few slow gentle breaths in and out, and see if this brings you into a calmer state.  You can also try gently tapping on the area with your fingertips.  Working gently with the Sea of Tranquility may be helpful in falling asleep at night, reducing stress while at work, and at any time when you need a gentle reminder to restore calm.
 
Caution: This acupressure information is not a substitution for qualified medical advice.  If you’re unsure of the source of anxiety, pain or other symptoms, you may be best served to consult a medical doctor before you start treating yourself.

 

What is Acupressure?

Acupressure Therapy is a type of bodywork that involves pressing specific points on the body with the fingers, knuckles, and palms to relieve pain, reduce stress, and promote general good health.  Developed in China more than 5,000 years ago, perhaps out of the natural human instinct to hold or rub a place on the body that hurts, acupressure is part of the holistic system of traditional Chinese medicine that also includes acupuncture. 

In the US acupressure is primarily used to relieve pain, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being.  In China, the technique is used more like first-aid: the Chinese typically practice it on themselves or on family members to treat everyday ailments such as colds, headaches, sore muscles, and hangovers. Specialists are consulted for more complicated problems.

While many people prefer to go to a trained therapist to get acupressure treatments, the techniques, once learned, can be performed on oneself or by a friend.

How Does It Work?

Traditional Chinese medicine views health as the constantly changing flow of vital energy, or qi (pronounced "chee") throughout the body.  If that flow is hindered, sickness may develop.  The primary goal of acupressure (and acupuncture) is to release blocked energy by stimulating specific points along the body's 14 primary meridians, or energy channels.  Pressing firmly and steadily on the proper points can promote energy flow to a part of the body that is experiencing disease or discomfort, enabling it to heal itself more readily.  While acupuncture involves stimulation with needles, acupressure typically uses only the practitioner's hands to restore the balance of qi.  Studies suggest that pressing on acupressure points can release endorphins, the body's natural painkillers.

Health Benefits

Many people have reported success using acupressure to relieve pain, reduce muscle tension, and promote relaxation.  A number have found the therapy especially helpful for easing back pain and for certain types of headaches, including migraine.  Post-operative pain and nausea has been found to respond to pressure point massage.  Chronic sinusitis sufferers have also found it useful for easing congestion.  Although research results are mixed, acupressure is also commonly used for morning sickness, motion sickness, and other types of nausea.  Some people find that treatments improve their overall vitality and well-being.

Cautions

- Never press on an open wound, swollen or inflamed skin, a bruise, surgery scar, varicose vein, or broken bone.
- Avoid acupressure or consult your physician if you have a contagious disease, an infectious skin disease, or a serious heart, kidney, or lung disorder.
- Avoid acupressure in the area of a known tumor.
- Acupressure should not be applied directly over the lymph nodes.
- Certain acupressure points must be avoided during pregnancy.  Be sure to tell your practitioner if you are or may be pregnant.