Ease tension and stress with Acupressure

Treating stress with Acupressure isn’t hard, In this post, Acupuncturist Marie Hopkinson will show you how you can give yourself a 3 minute stress-buster in your work day.

Acupressure is simply pressing on acupuncture points to release a similar-like effect to acupuncture. When you feel Qi in the points (Qi is essentially energy pronounced chee) then they are working.

The Qi feeling is a tingling, heavy, numbness, radiating feeling and can often be a combination of all of those feelings at the point or traveling around the body. If you’ve had acupuncture before, then try to get the same kind of feeling in yourself when you give yourself acupressure.

Here’s 3 easy to use points that can treat stress, tension and headaches:

1. Yintang – it’s a special extra point on the front of the head, in between the eyebrows.    The yintang point is easily self-massaged by using your thumb and index finger in an upwards pinching motion.

Squeeze this point about 5-10times until you feel tinging around the eyebrows. Another way to use it is called ‘wiping’ in tuina Chinese massage – the thumb or index finger can rub the point from bottom to top about 5cm length.

2. Du 23 – on the midline (directly above the point you just did), and just in from the hairline, you will feel a bit of a depression (a soft tender spot) on the skull.

  you can press this point with your finger. If you have time, close your eyes for 30 seconds, press the point and imagine a place you love.

3. Finally, the big point on the base of the neck GB 20 – this point is a strong, powerful point between two superficial muscles – the Trapezius (closer to the spine) and the Sternocleidomastoid (or SCM as some call it) the more ropey feeling one that goes down the the anterior (front) of the body onto your clavical (collarbone). GB 20 is right under the bone at the back of your nexc (the occipital bone) and in the depression between these two muscles. once you’ve found the point, try this exercise:

Put your two thumbs at the back of your neck into the GB 20 point, and slowly tilt your head back. You wont need to press hard, but you will feel the strong acupressure feeling from this point. Your using your head movement to press your body into your thumb. GB 20 is great for head and neck pain, backache and general muscle tightness that happens from stress.

Stress can often cause muscular tension due to a mechanism in Chinese Medicine called Qi stagnation. When Qi is stagnant, blood flow can be restricted because muscles get tighter. Sometimes the things that we do when we are most stressed – like sitting, prolonged posture at the computer or driving about in a car can contribute to the physical affects stress has on the body.

Usually, muscular tightness preceeds muscular pain. Often people are not aware of the tight stage they only take note when there is pain. It’s much easier to tackle stress with acupressure yourself at the tightness stage. Also try stretching, exercise, meditation or other techniques at the tightness stage. Once the problem has reached the pain stage – migraine headaches, severe headache pain, backache or neck pain etc you will probably need to see a practitioner to get help. Regular acupuncture is something I see my patients use for chronic pain. You generally need less treatments at the tightness stage than waiting until pain is debilitating your life.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marie Hopkinson is a Chinese Medicine Practitioner, Practicing from her clinic in North Perth, WA- METRO HEALTH AND MEDICINE. Marie can be consulted for appointments, while in-person is preferred, Email /phone consultations can be arranged. Marie has been practicing since 2000, completing initial 3-year course in Chinese Medicine at the Perth Academy of Natural Therapies in WA. Marie has been to China for additional training in the Hangzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital (Hangzhou Shi Zhong Yi Yuan) twice as well as completing a Master of International Health at Curtin University in 2006. Marie is passionate about the effective practice and understanding of Chinese Medicine and enjoys the opportunity to educate patients about the benefits of self-help aspects such as diet therapy, as well as teaching Chinese Medicine at the Endeavour College of Natural Health.

For more info about booking an appointment with Marie CLICK HERE.

For more info about conditions treated with Acupuncture, and Chinese Herbal Medicine CLICK HERE.