Yes, acupressure or acupuncture can help with symptoms such as headaches, constipation, nausea, insomnia and lower back aches in anyone including pregnant women. In my experience, both acupressure and acupuncture are soothing and safe forms of treatment for all women in all stages of pregnancy.
Musculoskeletal Manipulations
Osteopathic and chiropractic medicine focus on the body's ability to heal itself. One of the techniques used is to manipulate bones -- especially the spine to alleviate back pain and pressures or nerves. Many practices in sports medicine and massage also use these techniques, including acupressure and applied kinesthesiology.
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Chris Kilham , Alternative & Complementary Medicine, answeredSee All 7 AnswersAcupressure is a specific therapy derived from traditional Chinese acupuncture, in which various points on the body are stimulated with fingertip pressure. The idea of acupressure is to enhance the flow of energy throughout the entire body/mind system, thereby enhancing health and relieving various problems including pain, and various common disorders.
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Jesse Gernert , Fitness, answeredSee All 20 AnswersFoam rolling is a self-myofascial release technique (SMR), which is another stretching technique that focuses on the neural and fascial system in the body. The objective of using SMR is to apply gentle force to an adhesion or more commonly understood a "knot", which alters the elastic muscle fibers (aka knot) into a straighter alignment with direction of the muscle or fascia. When the gentle pressure is applied by a foam roller it stimulates the Golgi tendon organ and creates autogenic inhibition, in return, decreasing muscle spindles excitation and ultimately releases the hypertonicity of the underlying musculature.
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This question actually has two different answers. Bowen therapy, in the field of Marriage & Family Therapy, is a family systems model of therapy developed by Dr. Murray Bowen, MD. Dr. Bowen was a psychiatrist who theorized that current problems or concerns experienced by an individual could be addressed by investigating emotional connections, patterns, and dynamics “transmitted” over multiple generations of one’s family members. The individual could then gain insight into any dysfunctional “transmissions”, thus eventually being able to improve his/her level of “differentiation of self.”
The other Bowen therapy was developed in the 1950’s by an Australian man named Tom Bowen. “Bowenwork “ was described as a gentle bodywork technique that resets dysfunctional tension patterns in muscles and nerves that are causing discomfort and pain. Pain reduction and relaxation are achieved when the gentle movements send neurological impulses to the brain creating energy surges. Practitioners of Bowenwork differentiate the technique from massage, acupressure or chiropractic in that there is no manipulation, adjustment or force used. The practitioner uses thumbs and fingers to gently move muscles and tissues. Both therapies have international followings. -
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Dr. Carmen Patrick Mohan, MD , Internal Medicine, answeredSee All 3 AnswersIf the goal is to improve athletic performance, resistance training is the tried and true way to help muscles adapt. In contrast, whole body vibration has shown small and inconsistent results. In very small studies, whole body vibration has been shown to improve postural stability, so it might confer some benefit if balance and falling is the primary problem. -
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Janet Tsai , Alternative & Complementary Medicine, answeredSee All 4 Answers
Acupressure is a technique used in acupuncture, where you use your fingertips to massage very specific acupuncture points, which stimulates the point. In this video, acupuncturist Janet Tsai describes how acupressure is performed and it's benefits.
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Debra Fulghum Bruce PhD , Healthcare, answeredUnlike massage, which is hands-on healing, therapeutic touch is based on the assumption that a "human energy field" extends beyond the skin. The idea behind therapeutic touch is that this human energy field is abundant and flows in balanced patterns in health but is depleted and/or unbalanced in illness or injury. Practitioners work to restore health by sensing and adjusting such fields. Proponents say therapeutic touch can heal wounds, relieve tension headaches, reduce stress and pain, and facilitate "the body's natural restorative processes." -
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Maryanne Lane LMT NCTMB , Integrative Medicine, answeredSee All 2 AnswersAcupressure is used mainly by Massage Therapists and blended with deeper tissue work to assist you with same issues you would see an acupuncturist for. The only difference is "pressure versus puncturing" skin with a small needle. Along with being used to assist with migraines, muscle issues, structural issues we also use acupressure points in energy medicine to treat emotional and spiritual issues.
Through the use of the meridian system of the body which consists of 14 lines of energy we tap into blockages (similar to a beaver dam) each meridian has an organ related to it. The kidney and liver are two examples of meridians.
EFT (emotional freedom technique) is one form of Energy Psychology that uses acupressure to heal emotional issues and it has had profound impact on treating PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder). Research continues into the many ways using acupressure can assist you.
http://www.stressproject.org/
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Dr. Mike Clark, DPT , Fitness, answeredSee All 2 AnswersMyofascial release or foam rolling may sound new to you, but chances are, you have done it before or had someone else do it to you. Have you ever had a massage? A massage therapist practices a form of myofascial release when he or she performs deep-tissue massage and releases the knots -- also called trigger points -- you have in muscles. Most of the time you feel these knots in your neck and back, but they occur all over the body. Wherever you have muscle, you can get a knot. These can build up over time, decreasing the muscle's ability to lengthen and contract correctly.
Foam rolling (slowly moving a muscle across a foam roll, stopping at trigger points and holding for thirty to forty-five seconds) helps eliminate these knots in muscle tissue. Foam rolling can't replace a deep-tissue massage given by a licensed massage therapist, since the therapist can get much deeper into your muscle tissue than foam rolling can. However, it is a form of massage you can do every day to warm up your muscles, loosen tight or tense areas, and increase the range of motion around a joint. -
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Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answeredApplied kinesiology (AK) involves a series of tests to determine weakness in specific muscles that reflect imbalances throughout the body. Massage or acupressure techniques are then used for re-balancing. Kinesiologists believe they can detect and correct body imbalances before they develop into disease.