Acupressure On The Ht 7 And Pc 6 Points For Treating Insomnia In Dementia Patients

Many of us have real difficulty sleeping at night. There are different reasons for this: stress, drugs, hormones, worries, and many others. Not getting enough sleep can be a potentially serious problem as it can inflict damage on our health. It can cause us to gain weight, weaken our immune system, negatively impact our ability to adapt to the everyday challenges of life, and sullen our mood.

For people with dementia disorders such as Alzheimer’s, insomnia is a very common problem. These people tend to experience what is termed as “sundowners,” which means that they become increasingly confused later in the day or evening as their dementia symptoms exacerbates.

For caregivers of people with dementia, acupressure can be a drugless and safe way to help their patients sleep better. Acupressure works on the same principles as Jacksonville acupuncture therapy but is a much preferred therapy than acupuncture because it is a manual procedure that does not use needles. To massage gently specific pressure points on the patient’s forearm, the caregiver only needs to use their fingertips.

To relieve nervousness, agitation, and anxiety, and to treat insomnia, the caregiver needs to apply pressure to the Heart 7 (Ht 7) and Pericardium 6 (Pc 6) acupoints. These two are the least invasive and easiest to use acupoints. In Chinese medicine, they are respectively known as “Inner Gate” and “Spirit Gate” points. (The spirit refers to the patient’s mood instead of the Western concept of the spirit).

The Ht 7 and Pc 6 acupoints are best used when the patient is getting ready to go to sleep and already lying in bed. After getting the permission of your patient to touch him/her, pull a chair and sit down next to him/her. While using your dominant hand to massage the acupoints, take his/her forearm into your non-dominant hand.

The Ht 7 point can be found on the wrists’ underside, on the first crease where the wrist meets the hand. At the pinky part of that crease, you can find a bony protuberance with the acupoint located just towards the middle or medial to that bony protuberance. Your finger will feel what seems to be a hole or divot if you start at the inner wrist’s pinky side (outside of the wrist), and palpate with your finger over that bony protuberance (toward wrist’s thumb side). That hole or divot is where the Ht 7 is located.

The Pc 6 acupoint is also found on the wrist’s underside. If you search for the inner wrist’s center point, on the first crease where the wrist meets the hand, move towards the inner elbow crease about three finger widths. That is where you’ll find the Pc 6 point. This point has small tendons and it’s located just between the two tendons that can be felt and seen. Due to the position of these two points, using your thumb to the massage them while using the other fingers on the wrist’s opposite side is easy and more comfortable.

After locating the Ht 7 and the Pc 6 points, gently massage one point at a time by using a circling massaging movement whilst staying on the point or applying steady pressure on the point. It doesn’t matter which point you massage first

When performing this technique, you should avoid pain on the patient as much as possible, but the patient will oftentimes report a feeling that can be described as a strong pressure or a “good and gentle hurt” sensation. You should be extra careful on how much pressure you use on a dementia patient. They may not be able to tell you whether the technique has too much pressure or whether it hurts “good,” or they may not be totally in touch with what you are doing. Proceed slowly and little by little increase the intensity of the pressure as tolerated.

For three to five minutes, hold or massage with gentle pressure each point. Urge the patient to take few deep and slow breaths, tell them to relax, and close their eyes.

For dementia and elderly patients, sleeping pills can have serious side effects. They make the patient drowsy at an inappropriate time and can increase their risk of falling. They can also make it difficult for the patient to perform their activities of daily living and self-care.

Acupressure on the Ht 7 and Pc 6 for treating insomnia is a very effective and easy treatment that can help dementia patients fall asleep and stay asleep for a long period of time.