Acupuncture Pressure Points:  How Do They Help?

Acupuncture pressure points are located throughout the body.  These are very small areas of the body that will react to stimulations.  In the study of acupuncture, it is believed that a life force or life energy called qi flows through the body.  When you become ill, face pain or just are not feeling well, this is because the natural flow of qi through the body has been challenged, changed or otherwise broken.  In order to restore health to your body, you must remove the ailment and restore the flow.  Acupuncture points, acupoints are often used to attain this goal.

Acupuncture pressure points are specific and can not be used randomly.  Rather, the science behind them dates back some 3000 years to ancient Chinese medicine and teachings.   These points are used in many types of acupuncture including in laser acupuncture, sonopuncture, and even acupressure, each offering a different take on the way that the procedure is done.

In your body there are hundreds of acupuncture points located.  These points are located on meridians.  Meridians are actually connected points that run across the body and will correlate with specific organs or parts of the body.  In addition to these meridian based points, acupuncture pressure points are located around the body otherwise.  When you visit an acupuncturist, they will target the appropriate acupuncture pressure points, as based on the area of your body that needs help. 

With the proper method of stimulation, acupuncture pressure points help to restore the flow of qi through your body, helping you to overcome the illness or condition that you are facing.  Acupuncturists are trained to know how to find these points as well as what benefit they will have when stimulated.  For example, if you have a headache, it is necessary to stimulate the right pressure points in order to relieve the pain felt in your head.  But, that does not mean that the acupuncture pressure points used will be in your head.  Since qi flows in a never ending path through the body, finding the specific stimulation points is necessary though they may be located on the opposite side of the body.

There are many categories of acupuncture pressure points.  The categories help to show the ways that acupuncture can be used.  One of the most commonly used methods is the Five Transporting Point System.  Others include the Five Points Phases, Xi-Cleft, Back-shu, Lou-connecting and many others.  Professionals use these categories to give them an idea of how to treat the condition as well as what method to use that will be most beneficial.