The rules of Acupressure (part-4)

The rules of
Acupressure (part-4)

What is priority therapy ?
If the patient has many problems we have to deal with the most important 2 or 3 first along with their supporting points. When these are better, then, we can start to focus on the less urgent problems.

What is the process of effective therapy ?
It is very important to find the precise pain point in the pressure points that hurt. The size of each pressure point varies e.g. the spine point is 2 inches long whereas the kidney point is the size of a finger tip. Because of these differences one has to feel around for the P.P and press it twice as much as the area around it.

Is it possible to do acupressure whilst walking, sitting or talking ?
Yes, hand points are easy to do at any time and usually one will get some benefit from doing them when one is not fully engaged in the process. But, when one can, it is best to do it with full concentration.

Which fingers do we use for this therapy ?
Usually when we press we use the thumb and for support we use the middle and index fingers. For some points we may need to use all our fingers.

What should we use when pressing children's points ?
For children under the age of 8 we should only use our fingers. Over the age of 8 we can use an instrument unless any of the points are very sensitive in which case we should only use the fingers. On point 19 on the feet we should use an instrument.



Can we do acupressure on children while they sleep ?
Yes, we can but not to the extent that we disturb their sleep.

In elderly patients or those with very sensitive points, what should we use ?
We should use only the fingers. On the feet only points 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29, 36 and 37 should be done using an instrument, At all times the pressure should be gentle.

How do you use the thumb when pressing the points ?
The thumb can be used in 4 ways: -
1) The tip of the thumb can be used as a pointer and for this we need to keep our nails short.
2) The flat of the thumb using the top joint.
3) The knuckle of the thumb is useful when trying to find the P.P.
4) The side of the thumb when we need to apply a lot of pressure on the points which have bones.

In children how do we use our thumb ?
The tip of our thumb can be used for all the points in a child's hand. But, for points 2, 5, 8, 11-16, 19, 29, and 31- 35 in both the hands and feet, the flat of the thumb should be used.
The knuckle can be used for points 1, 3 and 4. Also points 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, and 31- 37 can all be pressed using the knuckle.

Source : A Self Treatment Manual by Sagar Sagir.