What is Acupressure?

Acupressure is the act of applying gentle pressure to specific points on the body. In kinesiology we use this in two ways: as a communication method with your body, and to correct imbalances.

How can touching one point on the body help with a seemingly unrelated collection of symptoms?

To understand this, we need to go right back to the origins of your body.

When you were first conceived, you started out as just one single cell, known as a ‘zygote’. This is the fertilized egg.

From there, cells started dividing and morphing into different types of cells to form your organs, glands, bones, etc.

How did each cell know what it needed to become, and where it needed to go?

An organising force in the form of electricity (Piezoelectricity) managed the development of your body like a highly skilled orchestra conductor. 

Throughout the process of transforming from a zygote to a fully formed human being, many cells that were once side by side are separated by great distances within the body.

The electrical connections between these now distal cells remain, forming electrical channels throughout the body. Chinese medicine has mapped these channels in lines called ‘meridians’.

This organising force directed the creation of your body from within – and is responsible for maintaining the structural integrity throughout your body for your entire lifetime by managing cell regeneration and other important processes.

How can we improve the flow of Piezoelectricity?

Scientists across biology and biotech disciplines have developed methods to detect and measure the presence of electrical currents within the living tissue – known as Piezoelectricity ^(1,3) and have been exploring how these currents can be manipulated to change the way cells behave ⁽²⁾.

These currents have been found to be altered by mechanical interference (like touch), supporting the body of evidence for acupressure promoting cell regeneration and healing ⁽²⁾.

Researchers have found acupressure to assist with improving wellbeing through:

• Improving cognitive function ^(5,6,7)
• Improving sleep quality ^(6,10)
• Reducing depression, anxiety and stress ⁽⁸⁾
• Reducing back pain ⁽¹⁰⁾
• Reducing period pain, menstrual migraines, and other menstrual related side effects (dysmenorrhea) ^(12,14)
• Reducing chronic neck pain ⁽¹⁵⁾
• Reducing the fight/flight response (sympathetic nervous system hyperactivation) ⁽¹⁵⁾

Acupressure uses the same understanding of meridians as acupuncture – just without the needles. Some studies have found acupressure to be equally effective as acupuncture ^(10,12).