Massage therapy consists of many techniques which can be used to address varying issues or achieve a person’s overall health goals, and many of these techniques have been in use for centuries. With time-tested success, methods like acupressure can have a tremendous positive impact for people who are looking for a massage which promotes relaxation and relieves tension in the body.
I am a certified massage therapist in the East Bay Area, and it’s my privilege to serve the members of my community with massages which can help them overcome chronic pain, avoid future injuries, improve their overall health and/or just give them an opportunity to relax and recharge.
While I am experienced in various disciplines of massage therapy, today’s article will focus on acupressure. This ancient form of massage still has fantastic benefits today, and it can be used as a standalone session or as part of a plan to use massage to help someone feel their best. Hopefully after reading this article you will be able to determine if acupressure is right for you.
If you have never heard of acupressure, you might have heard of acupuncture. These two disciplines are closely related, as they both seek to pinpoint specific areas of the body using focused pressure to stimulate the body to heal itself. The difference between the two is acupuncture uses needles and acupressure uses pressure applied by a massage therapist. In either case, by applying the right pressure, a therapist can improve your body’s response to pain or other issues to help you feel your best.
While acupressure does focus on holistic body treatment and using the body’s related systems to treat a person’s issues, your therapist can focus your therapy on a specific area in your body to promote healing in any problem areas. Whether it’s back pain, neck pain, headaches or any other common health issue, there is a good chance acupressure can help in the healing process.
During an acupressure session, you can expect your therapist to communicate with you to determine what issues you are facing. Acupressure can help with injury recovery, chronic pain or to improve overall well being, so in this initial conversation your therapist can determine their best course of action to help you thrive. Depending on your areas of pain and your goals for the session, your therapist will apply pressure in varying intensities to the pressure points which most directly impact your problem areas.
There are several methods which can be used during acupressure to address different body parts. Usually a therapist will use their hands, fingers and thumbs to apply pressure, but in certain situations if the client is comfortable with the treatment, the therapist could use their elbows or feet to most directly apply pressure where it will make the most impact.
If you think acupressure could be right for your needs or you want to learn more about this unique and effective form of treatment, I will be happy to discuss the technique in detail. Give me a call to learn more or book your appointment today.
