Is acupressure the new cure for acid reflux?
Acupressure is acupuncture without the use of needles. By applying pressure to acupuncture points prescribed by ancient Chinese medicine, specific organs and areas of the body can be successfully treated. With this science, the energy of the meridian system called Yin, Yang and Qi is aligned, allowing the body to heal itself.
Traditional Chinese acupuncture has been used to treat digestive disorders for more than two thousand years. Recent studies suggest that acupuncture, acupressure, and acupuncture point electrical stimulation applied to pericardium 6 (P6) reduce lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxations. Relaxation of the LES is the main cause of acid reflux. A study with electrical stimulation of the acupuncture point showed a 40% reduction in these SLE relaxations in most of the cases studied. This is an astonishing statement and it could be the beginning of one of the most important discoveries ever made for treating acid reflux.
What is P6? P6, also called Neiguan, is an acupuncture point located on the bottom of the wrist between 2 tendons. If you reach out and bend your hand toward you, P6 is in the middle of your wrist about two fingers the width of the crease where your hand and arm meet.
What is the LES? The lower esophageal sphincter is a muscular valve located between the esophagus and the stomach, which opens to allow food and liquid to enter the stomach. It is supposed to be closed tightly to prevent gastric fluids from flowing back into the esophagus. When you relax, you have acid reflux. Many things can make the LES relax; Acidic foods, carbonated drinks, alcohol, tobacco, chocolate, and stress, to name a few.
Acupressure to P6 has been used for years to relieve nausea and vomiting. It has recently been used to treat travel sickness and motion sickness, morning sickness in pregnant women, and postoperative nausea. Acupressure wristbands, also called “sea bands,” are now used for this purpose. The wrist strap fits comfortably on the wrist and has a small plastic button that applies pressure to the P6. It is now believed that these same wristbands can reduce acid reflux.
You can also pamper yourself without the use of finger wristbands. Note that when applying pressure to the P6, the sensation should be a slight numbness, never a sharp pain. All acupuncture points are normally alongside and between bones, ligaments, and tendons. They are never found in bones, blood vessels or arteries, but in depressions between them or next to them.
Interestingly, P6 is also used to treat insomnia, chest pain, epilepsy, fever, and migraines, as well as nausea, vomiting, and acid reflux. Stimulating this acupuncture point can be beneficial to the entire body.
Ancient Chinese medicine supports the theory that acupuncture points connect internal energy conduction pathways and that stimulation of these points accelerates the flow of this energy. On the other hand, allopathic medicine is just beginning to understand these principles. They attribute the success of acupuncture to nerve signals and chemicals released by the central nervous system, but they have no idea how it works. Given enough time, hopefully modern medical science will catch up with these ancient healing methods.
Regardless of what you believe, acupuncture really works. It is relaxing and absolutely painless. The needles used are so thin that you can’t even feel them. Acupressure is a simple variation on this theme whereby we can treat ourselves without the use of needles or expensive acupuncture sessions. Just find an acupressure chart and start working on yourself. Treating others is also fun. Even pets benefit from this science. I work on my thirteen year old Jack Russell Terrier, Jack Pot, every morning to ease his allergy symptoms. He is very grateful, in fact.
I encouraged a friend who recently developed a sharp gerd to try a pair of P6 wristbands, which I bought online. We found that they really work to reduce acid reflux, but only if you put them on your wrist so that the button pressure on the bracelet is precisely at P6. It took a bit of experimentation, but we made it after an hour or so. One company on the internet claims that you only need to wear a bracelet. Others suggest that it only works with two. Maybe they are both right, who knows. I know this is worth a try if you suffer from acid reflux, even if you only have a 40% chance of success. What have you got to lose?
If you want to try wristbands, they are available online and in many health food stores at reasonable prices. You can also consider a massage from someone who specializes in acupressure and have them work on the P6. I find that a visit to my reflexologist is always beneficial. But whatever you do, it’s always good to be open-minded about healing in general and to exercise your right to treat yourself. We all have the ability to heal ourselves. When it comes to acid reflux, there are many natural ways to at least keep it under control, if not cure it.
© 2006 Wind Publishing
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