When stress levels are high in daily life, leading to muscle tension and pain, many people wonder if Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupressure (acupoint massage) can provide the relief they seek. Beyond the obvious benefit of alleviating muscle tightness and pain, acupressure can actually help mitigate the overall impact of stress on the body. It is a highly viable component of holistic TCM rehabilitation that addresses the potentially harmful effects of stress.
What is massage therapy?
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Massage therapy is a body-based manual therapy that involves manipulating body tissues to reduce pain, relieve muscle tension, and alleviate stress. It includes rubbing, pressing, and manipulating the muscles, skin, ligaments, and tendons. Massage therapists use their hands to manipulate tissues, easing tightness, spasms, and tension.
There are various forms of massage therapy, utilizing both light and deep-touch techniques, ranging from kneading (such as Swedish massage) to applying pressure to specific acupoints (such as acupressure and deep tissue massage).
Swedish massage: A technique that alleviates tension through smooth, flowing strokes applied to the back, neck, and limbs.
Deep tissue massage: Uses more pressure than Swedish massage, focusing on harder-to-reach areas with knots, such as soreness, injuries, imbalances, tightness, and chronic muscle pain.
Acupressure: Involves acupoint stimulation while massaging and stretching the body. This technique promotes emotional and physical relaxation, helping to relieve pain, reduce headaches, alleviate muscle tension, and improve sleep, fatigue, and mood.
Benefits of massage therapy
Massage therapy is widely recognized for its therapeutic value in treating various musculoskeletal conditions. In addition to relieving muscle tension caused by stress, it can also help with:
Headaches
Pains (e.g., postoperative pain, chronic pain, musculoskeletal pain, palliative care pain, pelvic pain, labor pain, burn pain, dementia-related pain)
Emotional disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression)
Emotional and physical symptoms in cancer patients (e.g., pain, fatigue, stress, anxiety, lymphatic drainage)
Parkinson’s disease symptoms (e.g., sleep disorders, pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, muscle stiffness)
Massage therapy can ease stress and alleviate its physical manifestations in muscles. Taking a holistic approach—including massage, is often the best way to combat the long-term negative effects of stress.
When massage therapy successfully helps people relax, its effects are similar to meditation and sleep aids. As tension is released, the brain often lets go of stressors, reducing the overall impact of stress on the body.
7 Acuppoints for stress relief
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Acupressure is a complementary therapy based on TCM acupuncture principles. By applying pressure to specific points (acupoints) on the body, acupressure promotes relaxation, improves circulation, and helps alleviate stress and anxiety. You can perform acupressure on yourself by pressing different acupoints with your fingers. There are 7 acupoints that can help relieve stress, they are:
Yintang (印堂穴):
YintangLocated between the eyebrows, this point helps relieve headaches, insomnia, forgetfulness, and other anxiety-induced symptoms. It plays a vital role in balancing emotions and promoting relaxation.
Shenmen (神门穴):
ShenmenFound on the ulnar side of the wrist crease, massaging this acupoint for 5–10 minutes can effectively relieve anxiety-related insomnia.
Neiguan (内关穴):
NeiGuanLocated on the inner forearm, two inches above the wrist crease, between the tendons. Stimulating this point can regulate heart and lung function, alleviating chest tightness and palpitations.
Baihui (百会穴):
BaihuiFound at the top of the head, five inches above the front hairline or at the midpoint of the line connecting both ear tips. This acupoint helps relieve headaches, insomnia, and forgetfulness caused by anxiety.
Shanzhong (膻中穴):
ShanzhongLocated at the center of the sternum, Shanzhong is believed to help regulate emotions, calm the mind and promote inner peace.
Jianjing (肩井穴)：
JianjingFound at the highest point of the shoulder muscle, midway between the base of the neck and the tip of the shoulder. Stimulating GB 21 is believed to help alleviate neck and shoulder pain, reduce headaches, release emotional stress and tension, and promote a sense of relaxation.
Other Stress-relief methods
Like it or not, stress is a part of life. However, when stress becomes chronic or overwhelming, it can lead to a range of issues—from mild stomach discomfort to severe anxiety attacks, high blood pressure, and insomnia. Uncontrolled stress can disrupt daily activities and even contribute to serious health conditions. While massage therapy can help counteract stress, additional measures are often recommended, such as:
Exercise
Meditation
Learning time management skills
Getting more sleep
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