Cellulitis, a serious and potentially life-threatening skin condition, is usually treated with oral antibiotics. Serious cases of cellulitis, a bacterial infection that enters your body through a cut or crack in your skin, may require hospitalization and antibiotics delivered intravenously. Acupressure, designed to improve your body’s energy flow, may help prevent cellulitis but could worsen an active infection.
Symptoms
Any wound, including simple cuts and surgical incisions, make you susceptible to cellulitis. So do breaks in your skin from insect stings and animal bites. If you have diabetes or vascular disease, you are also at risk of cellulitis, an infection most often caused by staphylococcus and streptococcus. The first sign of cellulitis is pain, redness and swelling at the point of the infection. If you develop a rash and it expands, see your doctor the same day. If you develop a fever or pain or if the rash starts to spread quickly, seek emergency medical treatment. This could be a sign that the infection is spreading through your body.
Acupressure
Acupressure applies deep pressure, using a finger, knuckle or eraser, to specific points on your body. It is similar in philosophy to acupuncture, which uses needles to stimulate energy flow and achieve a balance between hot and cold energy – yin and yang – in your body. In acupressure, you probe a specific area on your body until you feel a sharp twinge and maintain the pressure for 15 to 30 seconds. You should not apply acupressure to a wound, mole or any type of break in your skin.
Acupressure for Cellulitis
Applying pressure to your skin through massage or acupressure could spread cellulitis. Cellulitis can spread from the site of the infection to your lymph nodes and throughout your bloodstream, and increasing circulation through acupressure could spread the infection, according to Nicole Cutler, a licensed acupuncturist. Acupressure may help people at risk for cellulitis prevent infection. Cutler notes the following acupressure points are appropriate for preventing cellulitis: point 36, located on your stomach; point 6, located on your spleen; point 11, located on your large intestine, and point 5, the triple warmer meridian located near your wrist.
Considerations
Although you can find charts about acupressure points in books and on websites, it may not be safe to practice acupressure on your own unless you’ve received specific instructions from a licensed professional. If you have a wound, wash it daily with soap and water and cover it with antibiotic cream. Seek medical attention if the wound becomes infected. If you have diabetes, use lotions to keep your skin moisturized and check your feet every day for cracked skin and infections.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Cellulitis
- MayoClinic.com: Cellulitis -- Symptoms
- MayoClinic.com: Cellulitis -- Prevention
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Acupuncture -- An Introduction
- Institute for Integrative Healthcare Studies: Is Massage Helpful or Detrimental to Clients With Cellulitis?
- Yin Yang House: Triple Heater Meridian -- Graphic
- Online Art Director: Point Finder -- Acupressure Guide Online
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