Acupressure: An Alternative to Acupuncture That You Can Perform at Home

Our team at RiverOne Health & Wellness often prescribes this healing modality as a helpful complement to spinal adjustment and other helpful, drug-free techniques. You may find acupuncture so good for what ails you that you wish you can administer it to yourself at home. Traditional acupuncture requires the tools and skills of a licensed acupuncture practitioner -- but you can always make use of acupuncture's close cousin, acupressure. Acupressure employs the same principles and acupuncture points as needling, only without the needles. Here are some tips for treating your symptoms and conditions in the comfort of your own home using this ancient technique.

Tip 1: Know Which Acupressure Points to Stimulate

Different combinations of acupressure points can correct imbalances affecting different (and often seemingly unrelated) parts of the body. For example, if you want to stimulate the point known as Large Intestine 4 (LI 4), press the area between your thumb and forefinger. The Liver 3 (LR-3) point is located between your first two toes at the top of your foot, while Spleen 6 (SP-6) is situated above your inner ankle. Lee can show you exactly which acupressure points to use.

It's useful to know a few self-acupressure tricks for quick relief of debilitating symptoms. If you're experiencing stress or anxiety, for instance, pressing and pulling downward on your earlobes may help. Press the spot above your eyebrow (and directly above your pupil) if you need a quick memory boost. To ease nausea, press your forearms two inches above each wrist, between the wrist tendons.

Tip 2: Apply Acupressure Correctly

Once you've located the correct acupressure points for your at-home treatment, make sure to apply the proper pressure and duration. Acupressure usually requires finger pressure that grows increasingly firm, holds its maximum pressure firmness, and then slowly eases the pressure over a total of about 90 seconds. Repeat each application of pressure up to 5 times per session. You can repeat this treatment as frequently as necessary.

Tip 3: Combine Acupressure With Meditation and Guided Imagery

Meditation can greatly enhance the benefits of acupressure by relaxing the body and focusing the mind before your self-care session. Guided imagery can also help you get optimal results from acupressure. You might want to focus on images that promote a sense of deep calm and tranquility, which helps your tissues achieve a state of maximum relaxation. Or you might also focus on images of energy flowing through your body as a means of encouraging the release of pent-up stresses and promoting proper nerve signaling and energy flow throughout the body. 

Tip 4: Ask Our Chiropractic Team for Expert Advice

Before you engage in any kind of at-home treatment, you'll want to have a thorough consultation and evaluation to confirm your condition and make certain that you know how to treat that condition properly. Contact our chiropractic team at (815) 705-6246 for an appointment so we can guide you through this powerful form of care.