JAPANESE ACUPRESSURE
--SHIATSU--
Japanese people have been trying acupressure treatment for centuries. The Japanese word for acupressure is shiatsu: shi (finger) + atsu (pressure). When we are in pain, or when we don't feel very well, we stimulate certain acupressure points called tsubo by massaging them with our fingers, so that we will feel better. There are some acupressure therapists practicing in our communities, but we can apply acupressure at home if you have a basic knowledge. Since more and more people are suffering from stress and fatigue, many books on acupressure and relaxation are being published these days.
In fact, I bought a book on acupressure the other day. The book tells us which part to massage when we are suffering from stiff shoulders, a backache and eyestrain. The acupressure points are not necessarily the part that hurt. In Oriental medicine, it is believed that each acupressure point is connected with a different internal organ. It is difficult for a beginner to find the effective acupressure points accurately. However, the book says that all we have to do is press and massage any point we like for two or three minutes, even though we may not know what that point would be called by specialists.
I would like to tell you a few tips I learned from some books I have read recently.
One of the most
effective and versatile acupressure point is called go-koku. It
is between the root of the thumb and root of the index finger.
Massaging go-koku helps ease eyestrain and a headache.
If you press it with the thumb of the other hand, you will find
it painful. Keep massaging it for two or three minutes. Don't
press it too strongly, and don't continue the therapy for more
than three minutes. A longer massage does NOT mean that you will
recover sooner.
In addition to go-koku, there are many effectuve acupressure points on your hands. Try massaging your palms and fingers if you find it comfortable. Also, try massaging your elbows. You may find a few points that hurt. Then press those points gently for a few minutes. In the same way, try massaging your legs, too.
When you wash your hair, massage your head carefully. There are a lot of acupressure points along the hairline. Also, try pressing the top of your head with a thumb. In acupressure terminology, the top of the head is called hyaku e (the point where one hundred meet), and it is another versatile point.
Some people believe that massaging the feet, especially the soles, helps solve their health problems. Specialists sometimes call the sole the second heart. Stimulating various acupressure points on the soles help improve blood circulation. In fact, since ancient times, specialists in Oriental medicine have believed that most diseases, including autonomic imbalance, psychosomatic disease and so on, are caused by poor blood circulation. Although most Japanese people believe in Western medicine today, there are many people who advocate Chinese medicine, too. When the doctors in big hospitals fail to pinpoint the cause of the illness and thus do not know what to do to cure it, some people count on Oriental herbal medicine, acupressure, or yoga exercises. As I see it, many symptoms of psychosomatic disease may be alleviated by improving the circulation of the blood. We can improve blood circulation by applying acupressure treatment, taking a hot bath, getting exercise and drinking something hot. When we have a cold, we ofen drink some soup with ginger and garlic, in order to keep ourselves warm. Incidentally, having a cup of tea with some grated ginger in it is believed to help lose weight. Of course, it takes a lot of time and patience to lose weight, or to cure psychosomatic disease. What is important is to keep doing what is good for the health every day.
It is interesting to note that the Japanese word meaning treatment is te-ate: (te 'hand' + ate 'putting, placing'). In Japanese, treating someone originally means touching him. When we literally touch the part that hurts, we notice that the affected part gradually becomes warmer and the blood begins to flow smoothly. The blood carries away wastes and brings in oxygen and nourishment, which primes a pump, and the natural healing process begins. This is a rational and scientific explanation, isn't it?
In my opinion, Oriental therapies may be helpful to the people whose symptoms can not be eased by Western medicine. Certainly, Chinese and Japanese herbal medicines sometimes do have harmful side effects, so we always have to consult a specialist before we start taking any of them. However, most of the methods I mentioned here and Western medicine do not seem to be mutually exclusive. If we haven't got a satisfactoy result from the Western treatment alone, we can seek Oriental methods, too, under the supervision of our family doctors.
Dear reader, if you are in pain now, I hope you will find the best way to remove your pain in one way or another. If you haven't tried Japanese acupressure before, why don't you give it a try? It may help. Even if it doesn't, it will do no harm to you, as long as you don't overdo it.
backgroud by Sozai-no-Hiroba
June 24, 2003