Acupressure Therapy - मर्म चिकित्सा - Marma Chitiksa
Acupressure therapy is a technique quite similar to Acupuncture. It is believed that this form of therapy is practiced to ease pain, nausea & depression. Unlike the use of needles in acupuncture, this therapy only supports the application of physical pressure at distinct points (also known as acupuncture points/acupoints) on the body to regulate life force energy thus clarifying blockages in the meridians.
Acupressure Therapy works by targeting the pressure points with steady force thus inferring the body to ‘turn on’ its self-healing mechanism & directing the bodily energy to flow normally through the meridians. The practitioners gently press or massage the acupressure points using their fingers, palms, knuckles, elbows, feet, or special tools. Some guess that the pressure may encourage the release of endorphins (natural pain-relieving chemicals in the body). During the acupressure massage, the therapist targets either local points or trigger points.
Local points are the exact spots on the body where the patient experiences pain or discomfort whereas the trigger points are the ones that are connected to the points of the body experiencing pain or discomfort.
Acupressure is a non-invasive & safe technique and can be beneficial as:
The therapy stimulates the body’s circulatory, lymphatic plus hormonal systems. It also boosts the role of the immune system and the body’s natural powers to heal itself.
Though Acupressure has shown to be effective in pain relief, sedation, relaxation etc. yet it has some limitations/risk factors which are mentioned below:
Some people who opt for Acupressure therapy might observe some or all the side effects mentioned below:
The pressure points are defined as sensitive (hyperirritable) parts of the body. Pressure, stimulation or irritation of trigger points can induce an impact on another part of the body. They can be a delicate area in a muscle that causes generalized pain if over stimulated. This is often called ‘referred pain’.
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