Acupressure Points
Have you ever wondered how a professional acupuncturist knows where they should put the needles? If you were to ask a trained practitioner, they would probably tell you that the needles are inserted into acupressure points on the body. This is done to agitate the point and produce an effect. This article will be sharing a few of the points used in acupuncture, and for the purpose of this article, they will be divided into groups based on the location.
Chest and Abdomen
Jian Jing – This point is found by using your thumb and middle finger to pinch the shoulder muscle, and is most often used for facial pain, stress, headaches, toothaches and neck pain. It is not usually recommended that you use this technique on pregnant women, because it can start labor contractions prematurely.
Head, Scalp, and Shoulders
Feng Chi – A technique that has been associated with migraine relief, fatigue, certain types of blurry vision, neck pain, and stress. Some have even used this technique to aid with cold and flu symptoms. To locate Feng Chi, lock your hands behind your head with your thumbs pointed downward. Place both of your thumbs onto the base of your neck muscles and run your thumbs upward to the bone behind your ears. You should be able follow the groove that is created by the muscle.
Arms and Hands
He Gu – This position is extremely effective for stress and facial pain. If you want to find this point, you will find it on the side of your hand in behind the knuckle, near the place where your thumb and index finger meet. Press into the muscle and massage for 4 – 5 seconds.
Legs and Feet
Zu San Li – This spot is thought to help major organs like intestines, stomach, and liver. It is located on the outside of your lower leg, next to the top of your shin.
Tai Chong – This is an excellent area to stimulate for stress, low back pain, high blood pressure, limb pain, insomnia and emotional upset. To locate this pressure point, use your thumb to place pressure in between the tendons that extend to your big toe and the second largest toe.
San Yin Jiao – Generally used for pelvic disorders, insomnia, and menstrual cramps and can be found on the inside of your leg, just above your ankle. Find the highest point of the ankle then four finger widths up your leg, apply deep pressure slightly behind the bone.
Ways Your Body Can Change After Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a treatment that has been steadily gaining more respect and support in the last decade or two. As people begin to turn away from the use of addicting pharmaceuticals, they’ve become more open to exploring the world of natural medicine. One of the positive things about achieving a balance with the old world and new world is that you can end up undergoing a series of changes that create a very different experience from the one that may be familiar to you now previously.
Less Chronic Pain
One of the most common ways in which your body will change for the better is that you may experience a major decrease in the chronic pain that you may have one felt before. After you have seen a professional acupuncturist, it is possible that you might end up clearing blockage that caused you to experience the pain.
More Alertness
Sometimes the stresses that we feel can keep us from resting completely and efficiently. After your acupuncture session, sleep may become far more restful so that your night’s rest becomes
deeper and more complete. Many people seeking their first treatment even fall asleep during the rest period before the needles are removed.
Neck Muscle Changes
A lot of the pain that people experience in the body comes from tense muscles that are constricted into themselves and other nearby muscle groups. After a few treatments have taught these muscles how to relax into their natural state, a person could notice some small changes to their muscle structure which could result in them standing straighter, and seeming to have grown an inch or two.
Less Anxiety
With better rest, and a less tense daily posture, the physical manifestations of discomfort and anxiety will be very likely to have been reduced. The process of acupuncture can have a lasting effect on the way you carry your emotions and manifest them into your extremities.
More Flexibility
With so much of the dense, twisted muscle being free to finally open up and stretch out, you would notice an increased range of movement for a variety of muscle groups. Many of the knots and clustered muscles that can pinch nerves will be gone. This leads to increased flexibility, and a better quality of life that will sustain itself as long as you continue to maintain healthy practices.
