Acupressure therapy for Fibromalgia

Middle aged women having pain in areas like neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms, legs alongwith symptoms such as trouble sleeping, morning stiffness, headaches, and problems with thinking and memory then you may be a victim of 'fibromalgia'.

Fibromyalgia makes you feel tired and causes muscle pain and "tender points." Tender points are places on the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms or legs that hurt when touched. People with fibromyalgia may have other symptoms, such as trouble sleeping, morning stiffness, headaches, and problems with thinking and memory, sometimes called "fibro fog."

No one knows what causes fibromyalgia. Anyone can get it, but it is most common in middle-aged women. People with rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases are particularly likely to develop fibromyalgia. There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but medicines can help you manage it.

If specific tender points are particularly painful, you can use acupressure to help calm them down. Simply find the spot with your fingertips and press, gradually increasing the pressure. The spot may initially feel sore, but within a few seconds, the pain should start to ease off, and you will feel the muscle relax. For hard-to-reach places on your back, you can lie down and roll your back on a tennis ball.

The following acupressure points are particularly useful in fibromyalgia:

bullet Gallbladder 20, 30, 31, and 34 are instrumental in strengthening and enhancing circulation to the muscles and tendons.

bullet Liver 3 quiets the nervous system and relaxes muscle cramps and spasms.

bullet Pericardium 6 relaxes the chest and upper digestive tract, and helps relax the mind.

bullet The combination of Spleen 6 and Stomach 36 enhances the absorption and transport of nutrients.

Acupressure

Acupressure Points for Fibromyalgia:

It is important to avoid acupressure points that Enhance Qi. Here are some valuable acupressure points that are safe for fibromyalgia and are not tonification points:

The Four Gates is a popular acu-point combination used for many conditions as it is able to relieve Qi stagnation anywhere in the body. The Four Gates are acupressure points LV 3 and LI 4.

Apply Even Pressure to Acupressure Point LI 4 (Hegu or Union Valley):

Large Intestine 4 is locatedon the dorsum of the hand between the first and second metacarpal bones in the middle of the second metacarpal bone on the radial side.
Acupressure Directions:

Release Acupressure Point LV 3 (Taichong or Great Surge) to Resolve Liver Qi Stagnation:

Liver 3 is located on the dorsum of the foot, in the depression just distal

to the junction of the first and second metatarsal bones.

Causes of fibromyalgia in Chinese medicine...

Widespread pain is defined as having pain in both sides of the body and pain above and below the waist. In addition, pain must also be present in the cervical spine, anterior chest, thoracic spine or lower back.

These tender points are located at:

• Occiput (2) - at the suboccipital muscle insertions (near the base of the skull)
• Low cervical (2) - at the anterior aspects of the intertransverse spaces at C5-C7 (the lower vertebra of the neck)
• Trapezius (2) - at the midpoint of the upper border (the neck, mid back and upper back muscles between the shoulder blades)
• Supraspinatus (2) - at origins, above the scapula spine near the medial border
• Second rib (2) - upper lateral to the second costochondral junction (the insertion of the second rib)
• Lateral epicondyle (2) - 2 cm distal to the epicondyles (the side of the elbow)
• Gluteal (2) - in upper outer quadrants of buttocks in anterior fold of muscle (the upper and outer muscles of the buttocks)
• Greater trochanter (2) - posterior to the trochanteric prominence (the upper part of the thigh)
• Knee (2) - at the medial fat pad proximal to the joint line (the middle of the knee joint)

Link: Fibromyalgia Pressure Point

Useful links and resources:

* The National Fibromyalgia Research Association is a free resource of information about treatment and cure for fibromyalgia.

you will find fibromyalgia diagnostic criteria and an Informational Guide.

Related Non-profit and Foundations

CFS/FM Management

Information on chronic pain treatments and prescription guidelines:
American Pain Society Partners Against Pain

Arnold Chiari Malformation

A case study of getting cure from accupressure

Acupressure is a wonderful massage therapy which is being used from decades to cure many common and complicated ailments. There are many success stories about getting cure or healing effects from accupressure. This post is about an air hostess who was suffering from 'sciatica' but after trying other methods to cure, finally she was cured from it with the help of regular accupressure massage.

This real story is of former air hostess Leigh Anne Miles, who used to travel regularly to and from Australia and other far-flung destinations with British Airways. During her tiring job, she realized that her energy level was dropping drastically by the time. She began to develop more general aches and pains, then sciatica down my left side, all the way down my left hip to her foot.

She says: “I could keep walking but it was very painful, and on flights my body would swell up due to the cabin pressure and it would become even more painful. It would take days for the swelling to go down, but by the time it did I would be off on a another flight. It was hard to keep up.”

Leigh Anne tried all sorts of methods to sort out her sciatica, which results due to irritation of the sciatic nerve and is quite common.

“I used to exercise a lot, go to the gym, and go jogging. I used to do yoga classes as well, general stretching, and it helped but it didn't cure me,” she says.

She tried a lot of alternative therapies as well, ranging from reiki to shiatsu to Qigong, or Chinese energy healing. “I also tried regular massage and flotation tanks, a lot of different things in different countries around the world.

Then one day Leigh Anne went to a health exhibition in London. Little did she know it, but the experience would change not only her health, but her entire career.
Ki energy treatment helps people get better physically and emotionally through a special type of acupressure massage that seeks to unblock energy in our bodies. Leigh Anne's treatment involved an acupressure massage on different energy points, including her abdomen, back, head, neck, shoulders, arms and feet.

Leigh Anne had several more treatments, then some “self-healing classes when you learn how to receive energy and how to recharge yourself,” she says.

“My energy levels kept going up and up, and I continued for two or three months, whenever I could. I noticed that I had more energy for flights and that the pain from my sciatica was getting less and less.”

ll the treatments I didn't want to go back to my old job, I decided I wanted to do Ki energy full-time for Ki health, a charity. I felt such huge benefits in myself and my energy levels, and could see the positive effect the treatment had on others. So I started to learn how to do it.”

Leigh Anne has now been a Ki practitioner for six years. “Making such a big career change was a huge step but I am very happy, very fulfilled, and my sciatica is actually gone,” she says.

“I don't have sciatica anymore at all. Thanks to the energy, the whole Ki method.”

Source: Acupressure Massage Relieved My Sciatica: A Case Study

Useful links:

'Ki health.org' helps people to overcome their physical and emotional suffering through the practise of Ki Energy. It provides revitalising acupressure and energy treatments for all.

Helpful acupressure massage techniques for eye related problems

These acupressure massage techniques are useful in prevention and treatment of myopia, blurred vision, glaucoma and other eye problems.

1. Knead the eyebrows: press the thumbs on the inner sides of the eyebrows (Bl2) and knead 20 times; the pressure should be increased gradually to obtain a feeling of soreness.
2. Pinch the nasal bridge: use the thumb and index finger to pinch the nasal bridge closest to the inner canthi of the eyes (Bl1), firmly press and pinch about 20-30 times.
3. Press under the eyes: use the index finger to press just below the pupils (St2), and knead about 20 times.
4. Scrape the orbits: put the thumbs on the temple areas, use the middle knuckles of the index fingers to press the inner canthi of the eyes, then scrape apart along the upper and lower orbits, about 20-30 times.
5. Compress the eyeballs: first rub the hands together to get them warm, then put them over the closed eyes with the palms for 30 seconds; then slightly rub the eyeballs 10 times or more.
6. Thumb-knead the temples: firmly knead the center of temples (Ex-HN5) with the thumbs about 30 times.


According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), all diseases involving the eye are closely related to the liver. It is also understood that the eye is nourished by all of the internal organs in the body. The lens of the eye and the pupil basically belong to the kidney, the sclera to the lungs, the arteries and veins to the heart, the top eyelid to the spleen, the bottom eyelid to the stomach, and the cornea and iris to the liver. The Spleen and Stomach also control circulation in the eyes. Therefore an imbalance in any of the internal organs may lead to eye disease.
More at: Acupressure Points for Better Vision

Useful links:

* 'Shen nong.com'

'Eye Exercises'

* 'Chinese Eye Exercises'

* 'Clear eye sight.info'