Acupressure.com recommends acupressure for stress and defines acupressure as an ancient healing art that uses the fingers and other parts of the body to skillfully press key points. When these points are stimulated using gentle but firm pressure, they may stimulate the body's natural self-curative abilities.
What is Stress?
The Mayo Clinic defines stress as a normal psychological and physical reaction to the demands of life. When your body becomes stressed, it releases many hormones that allow you to experience the fight or flight reaction. These hormones increase heart rate, breathing rate, blood flow to the muscles, and blood pressure. These reactions increase your strength and stamina, increase your reaction time and improve your focus. Problems result when the stress response continues on for hours or days.
When Stress Becomes A Problem
The symptoms of too much stress vary from person to person but they usually have a mental, emotional, physical and behavioral component. Examples include excessive worry, feeling overwhelmed, rapid heart beat and eating or sleeping more or less than usual. If you are experiencing symptoms that are severe or long term, it is important that you are evaluated by a health care provider.
Performing Acupressure
Acupressureonline.org discusses how to do acupressure. To do acupressure, find the desired point and press with firm thumb or finger pressure. The point may be tender to the touch. You can just hold pressure on the point or do small circular massage while continuing to put pressure on the point. Massage or hold the point until the tenderness is relieved or numbness occurs. This can be for as short as 30 seconds to upwards of three minutes.
Acupressure for Stress
Acupuncture points are named after the channel, or meridian, they belong to and then designated a number. HolisticOnline.com suggests that three points for general stress are Lung 1, CV12 and CV17. Lung 1 is on the front of the chest below the collar bone in the first rib space. It is two hands, the four fingers put together twice, from the middle of the chest. CV 12 is on the mid-line of the front of the body, half way between the belly button and the very bottom of the breast bone. CV 17 is located in the center of the breast bone at the level below the fourth rib.
Caution
If you are experiencing an increase in your respiratory rate, heart rate or blood pressure on a regular basis, it may be a sign of a serious health condition. Any problem that is chronic, or long-term, should be evaluated by a health care professional.
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