What is Acupressure and how can it help you? #health #wellness

It’s back to school time. Time to catch up on appointments you may have been putting off over the summer and invest in yourself, your health and wellbeing. The following is an interview with Salma Ahmad, an Acupressure and Shiatsu Therapist based in Montreal, Quebec.

What is Acupressure?

Acupressure is an ancient and holistic healing technique based on Traditional Chinese Medicine. It has existed for thousands of years.

In acupressure, manual pressure is applied to key healing points in order to stimulate the self-curative abilities of the body, as well as to help achieve balance on both a physical and emotional level. It helps relieve stress, release tension, improve circulation, and reduce pain. It is similar to acupuncture, but no needles are used.

What can acupressure help with?

Acupressure can help relieve different kinds of pain:

Sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, post-epidural back pain, headaches, neck and shoulder tension, menstrual pain, etc.

It can also help with issues such as:

Digestive problems (nausea, constipation, reflux, gas, bloating, etc.), menstrual issues, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety and stress

What is TCM?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has existed for thousands of years. In TCM, illness or pain is seen as a result of imbalance in the body. The goal is to address this underlying imbalance, as well as the more superficial symptoms. We look at the whole person, taking into account what is happening on the physical, mental, and emotional levels.

What is Shiatsu?

Shiatsu is a Japanese massage style that is both relaxing and therapeutic. It is also based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, and is traditionally done on a mat on the ground, over the clothes. The practitioner applies stretches, mobilizations, and pressures (with the hands, feet, elbows, and knees). It is both calming and revitalizing. It can help with similar issues as acupressure, and I usually use a combination of both.

Why did you become a practitioner?

I’ve always loved physical work and working with people, so I decided I wanted to learn massage. I chose to study shiatsu because I loved receiving that type of massage, and because it had therapeutic benefits.

During the time of my studies, a friend of mine woke up one day with stabbing pain in the left side of his body, and loss of sensation in his leg. He went to the hospital and the doctors could not find what the problem was, since all of his tests came back negative. He underwent several more tests in the following weeks, but they were also negative.

Since one of our assignments was to treat someone that had a health issue, I offered to treat him. I treated him with a mix of shiatsu and acupressure (we learnt some in class) and at the end of eight treatments, he was doing much better. His stabbing pain was gone and the sensation in his leg had almost fully returned.

After this experience, I really saw how effective shiatsu and acupressure could be. I knew that I was in the right place and that I wanted to keep on supporting people in this way.

You can check out Salma’s Facebook page here.

Do you use a specific form or alternative medicine? If so, which one? Have you ever tried Acupressure for yourself? Why or why not?