Acupressure, Kinesiology

Acupressure & Sleep

One of the healing techniques used is Kinesiology is acupressure. Acupressure works by targeting pressure points on the body by applying steady force (acupuncture uses a needle, while acupressure uses fingers) and is thought by Chinese medicine to be a way of regulating bodily energy, aiding disease healing and helping health.

Acupressure points are located all over the body, they occur on the meridian lines.. These points help balance the body’s energy flow, referred to  as Qi.  When a point is stimulated it activates A Beta, A Delta and C fibres in the skin that then send impulses to the spine. The stimulation of these fibres affects all organs, muscles and tissues that are connected to or innervated by the same spinal segment. Therefore, if you are suffering from stomach pain, stimulating a point that is innervated by the same spinal segment will reduce the pain.

Acupressure has physiological, neurological and psychological effects. The effect on a person’s psychology may partly be explained by the stimulation of hormones, including β-endorphin, serotonin, oxytocin, but may also be an outcome of stimulating the Central Nervous System.

A widely studied use of acupressure has been on sleep. If can try some acupressure yourself, the An Mian point (see image) located just below the ear can help put you to sleep quickly. Other points that are particularly helpful for sleep include the Stomach 36, located three to four inches below the knee and half an inch to the outside of your shin bone; the Pericardium 6, located three inches above the inner wrist; Heart 7, located on the very outside of the wrist below the pinky; and Large Intestine 4, located between your thumb and index finger.

Use two fingers or thumb to apply gentle pressure to these points.  Hold the point from 2-20 mins.  The regulatory effect that brings about the release of hormones takes around 12-13 minutes. While holding these points you may even feel a pulsing.

Acupressure-Point

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