A little pressure goes a long way: especially when it comes to alleviating typical travel ailments.Summer is upon us and so is the infestation infestation /in·fes·ta·tion/ (-fes-ta´shun) parasitic attack or subsistence on the skin and/or its appendages, as by insects, mites, or ticks; sometimes used to denote parasitic invasion of the organs and tissues, as by helminths. of the travel bug. My intention with this article is to share a few basics of acupressure acupressure or shiatsu Alternative-medicine practice in which pressure is applied to points on the body aligned along 12 main meridians (pathways), usually for a short time, to improve the flow of vital force (qi). and show how it can safely and effectively treat and reduce the symptoms of ailments that typically befall be·fall v. be·fell , be·fall·en , be·fall·ing, be·falls v.intr. To come to pass; happen. v.tr. To happen to. See Synonyms at happen. us on our travels. I must also note, as with anything in life, there are no absolute guarantees; that is, acupressure simply might not work. And in the world of holistic medicine holistic medicine, system of health care based on a concept of the "whole" person as one whose body, mind, spirit, and emotions are in balance with the environment. , sometimes the symptoms can get worse before they get better. Those of you familiar with acupuncture will notice its presence in acupressure: The points used in both modalities are, in essence, the same. The big difference between the two treatments is that with acupressure you simply apply pressure to the points--there are no needles. (Do not stimulate these points with anything other than your fingers; that's why there are acupuncturists!) Here, I'll abbreviate names of the points by using the initials of the organ of the meridian they're associated with and their number. For example: Gallbladder 20 is GB20. You may massage these points or just put pressure on them. You can apply pressure yourself or work with a partner, and you can repeat the pressure every two hours. Take at least five deep breaths with each point and be mindful of how strong your touch is. Slight to moderate pressure is more than sufficient. All the points mentioned (except Yintang) are on both sides of the body. Be sure to stimulate each one. Headaches Headaches are complicated because they have different causes and locations. For the sake of simplicity, we'll use proximity. If your headache is in the back of your head, have someone take their hand, or reach your own hand, to your neck and follow up to the base of the skull The base of the skull (lat. basis cranii) is the most inferior area of the skull. Structures Structures found at the base of the skull are for example:
Insomia Insomnia can also be tricky to effectively treat clue to a number of varying circumstances. But there are some empirical points for sleep disorders Sleep Disorders Definition Sleep disorders are a group of syndromes characterized by disturbance in the patient's amount of sleep, quality or timing of sleep, or in behaviors or physiological conditions associated with sleep. that can be of use. Anmian is located at the base of the skull behind the ear. Find your jaw and then go towards your ear. Right behind the jaw is a big muscle called the sternocleoidmastoid. Follow this to where it connects to your skull and viola! Be sure to come off the muscle just a little and onto the bone. Yintang is also of great benefit, as well as HT7, which is located on the wrist crease. Turn your palms face up. Go towards your pinky finger. Feel for a little round bone. (For those anatomy junkies out there, I'm talking about the pisiform bone pisiform bone n. A small bone in the proximal row of the wrist, lying on the anterior surface of the triquetrum bone, with which alone it articulates. .) Constipation Constipation is treatable by using LI4. To find this point, make an L with your index finger and thumb. Feel where the bones meet; the point is in the corner. Then, bend your arm towards your chest. At the elbow very near; at hand. See also: Elbow , you'll notice a crease; at the end of the crease is LI11. The last point to use is ST25, which is at the level of your belly button. Lying flat on your back, do a very slight ab crunch to find the edge of your rectus abdominis rec·tus abdominis n. A muscle with origin from the pubis, with insertion into the xiphoid process and the fifth to seventh costal cartilages, and whose action flexes the vertebral column and draws the chest downward. ; then, start at your belly button and come to the edge of your abs. Food Poisoning/Nausea Food poisoning and nausea, even hangovers (these things happen), can also be treated with LI4 and LI11 with the addition of ST45. This point is on the side of the second toe--the one next to your big toe. Just give it a good squeeze on the sides of your nail bed. ST36 is located just below the knee. Start at the base of the kneecap kneecap (patella), saucer-shaped bone at the front of the knee joint; it protects the ends of the femur, or thighbone, and the tibia, the large bone of the foreleg. The kneecap is embedded in the tendon tissue of the quadriceps femoris, a large thigh muscle. . Feel for the tendon, and then follow it until it connects to the bone. At the connection of the bone and tendon, go directly sideways where you'll feel the tibialis anterior muscle In human anatomy, the tibialis anterior is a muscle in the shin that spans the length of the tibia. It originates in the upper two-thirds of the lateral surface of the tibia and inserts into the medial cuneiform and first metatarsal bones of the foot. . ST36 is in the belly of the muscle. Then add PC6, a great point for nausea. Turn your forearms facing up. Find two prominent tendons in the center of the forearm. Between these two tendons about two-three inches from the wrist crease is the point. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Kyle Chapin has a B.A. in Eastern philosophy and a Master's in acupuncture. He has incorporated these philosophies and theories into his bodywork bodywork /body·work/ (-wurk?) a general term for therapeutic methods that center on the body for the promotion of physical health and emotional and spiritual well-being, including massage, various systems of touch and manipulation, for the past two decades. Visit his website at www.evolutionalhealing.com. |
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