Reducing Acid Reflux With Acupressure

Acupressure follows the same healing principle as acupuncture but without the use of needles. Specific areas and organs of the body are successfully treated through the application of pressure on the pressure points indicated in ancient Chinese medicine. By means of this technique, the energy or chi flowing through the energy channel system (aka meridian system) is brought into balance, facilitating the healing process of the body.

For over two thousand years, traditional Chinese acupuncture in Bellingham has been used to address various types of digestive disorders. Recent research shows that electrical acupoint stimulation, acupressure, and acupuncture treatment on the P6 (Pericardium 6) acupoint induces relaxations of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). LES relaxation is one of the major causes of acid reflux. A clinical study involving electrical acupoint stimulation led to a 40 percent decrease of these relaxations in a majority of the cases studied. This is an impressive accomplishment and could herald the start of one of the most important findings ever made in acid reflux treatment.

The Pericardium 6 or P6 acupoint, which is also known as Neiguan, is situated between two tendons on the wrist’s underside. This point is found about two finger-widths from the folding where the arm and hand meet (if you stretch out your hand and twist it toward you).

The lower esophageal sphincter or LES is the valve found between the abdomen and esophagus and is made of muscles. Normally, this valve only opens to allow liquids and food to enter into the abdomen. A properly functioning LES should shut tight to restrain the gastric fluids from flowing back into the esophagus. When it relaxes when it shouldn’t acid reflux is the result. Various factors can bring about acid reflux. They may include stress, chocolate, alcohol, carbonated drinks, acidic foods, and others.

Applying acupressure to the Neiguan has been an age-old treatment in China especially in relieving nausea and vomiting. It is now sometimes used to relieve sea sickness, traveler’s motion, postsurgical nausea, and morning sickness in pregnant women. This healing ability has led to the invention of acupressure wrist bands or “sea bands”, as they are sometimes called, to treat sea sickness and traveler’s motion. A small plastic button is built in the wrist band that bears pressure to the Neiguan. Some people have said it is also capable of mitigating acid reflux.

But even without wrist bands, you can treat acid reflux with use of only your fingers. It’s important to note that you should never feel a sharp pain, only a slight numbness whenever you apply pressure to the P6. All acupoints are either in between or beside tendons, ligaments, and bones. They are never located on arteries, blood vessels, and bones, only beside or between them.

The P6 is a very versatile point. Aside from treating acid reflux, vomiting, and nausea, it can also help treat migraines, fever, epilepsy, chest pain and insomnia. When this acupoint is stimulated, the entire body can benefit in various ways.

According to ancient Chinese medicine theory, the acupoints or pressure points connect to the internal channels of energy conduction, and by stimulating these points the movement of chi or energy is increased and accelerated. Allopathic medicine, on the other hand, is seemingly just beginning to understand ancient healing system. Western medical researchers suspect that acupuncture works through chemicals and nerve signals that are secreted by the CNS or central nervous system, although they still can’t explain how it all works. Hopefully, over time, modern medicine may be able to fully grasp the concept and knowledge of these ancient healing systems.

There is no doubt that both acupuncture and acupressure works in varying degrees of effectiveness. They are both pain free and relaxing methods. In acupuncture, the needles used are as thin as the hair in your head that they hardly generate any sensation when inserted into the skin. Acupressure is even a more non-invasive type of procedure in that pressure is applied with use of the hand, fingers, elbows, or even the feet, not with needles. It is also very simple to learn and perform. All you need is an acupressure chart that will indicate the location of the acupoints you need to massage. Even animals and pets can benefit from this type of therapy. Actually I know some veterinarians who have adopted this technique and use them on their animal patients, whenever needed, to avoid the use of drugs.

Some of my patients who suffer from acute GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) have reported using the P6 wrist bands to try to relieve their condition. Most of them said that the wrist band do actually work in decreasing acid reflux, but only if it is placed exactly on the P6. Some online companies recommend wearing two wrist bands, one on each wrist, while other companies say that you only need to wear one. Well, people respond differently from the effects of these devices and so I say, whatever works for you is fine.

If you interested in trying these wrist bands, you can purchase them on health food stores or online at reasonable prices. You can also opt for a massage clinic that employs a therapist specializing in acupressure and have them perform acupressure on the P6. Where you seek treatment is up to you but it is always wise to keep an open mind about healing in general and to learn how to perform acupressure the right way. This therapy gives you the ability to heal yourself. Regarding acid reflux, you can always avail of natural healing approaches to keep it under control, or even cure it completely.

Acid Reflux Symptoms Can Be Cured with TCM and Acupuncture

The burning sensation people feel from the welling up of acid in the stomach is known as Acid Reflux. Chronic or long term acid reflux is known as GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). Acid reflux occurs when the valve called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) which should close when food passes through it does not close or closes but not completely allowing the acid to escape the stomach and go back up the esophageal wall causing heartburn. Certain individuals have this feeling after they eat and it comes only a few times; other people can experience it many times a week. The pain can be either a painful, persistent problem or a small annoyance depending on how much it occurs.

Acid Reflux – Its Causes

People suffering from acid reflux may be also suffering from a hiatal hernia. This occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter and the abdomen’s upper section appear over the diaphragm. This facilitates the escape of stomach acid into the esophagus. Other causes include taking certain medications, alcohol, soft drinks, drinking lots of coffee, pregnancy, smoking, obesity, smoking, pregnancy, and lying down after eating.

Acid Reflux Symptoms

A burning sensation in the chest (heartburn) is the defining symptom of acid reflux. Other symptoms can include a feeling that food is stuck in the throat, hiccups, black stools, bloating, and a sour taste that comes into the mouth after burping. Each person may experience and manifest symptoms in different ways.

Acid Reflux and Acupuncture in Pembroke Pines

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or acid reflux, from the standpoint of Traditional Chinese Medicine, is caused by a dysfunction of the stomach system due to a conflict between the stomach and liver. Acupuncture can reduce the relaxations of the lower esophageal sphincter which helps stop the acid reflux. Certain acupuncture points are activated to regulate the gastric secretions and motility and keep the sphincter in place. The stimulation of the acupoints also results in the regulation of metabolism, hormone, and neuropeptide release.

Acupuncture can control acid reflux whether or not it’s used as a standalone treatment or used in combination with other treatment options. It works very well can bring much needed relief for the acid reflux sufferer. So, if you or anyone you know is suffering from this condition, either recurrently or sporadically, acupuncture may be the therapy that you are looking for.

Acid Reflux Symptoms Can Be Resolved With Acupuncture

University of Adelaide in Australia researchers did studies that applied a light electrical pulse to activate an acupressure point known as the Pericardium 6, P6, or Neiguan point located on the wrist. This acupoint is associated with upper gastrointestinal diseases such as acid reflux. The acupoint activation led to a decrease in relaxations of the LES or lower esophageal sphincter. The LES relaxation is believed to be a major reason for acid reflux syndrome. The Neiguan stimulation significantly lessened TLESRs (transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations) by 40%, (6/ hour to 2.5/hour). This decrease was also observed as being substantially higher than the outcomes shown in the placebo group, the group that received a mock stimulation on an acupoint located on the hip.

A component of a Chinese medical system known as TCM or traditional Chinese medicine, acupressure is a modality in which manual pressure is applied to the said acupoints. This treatment is similar to acupuncture treatment although instead of needles, pressure from the hands and other things are used to stimulate the acupoints. A high-tech version of traditional acupuncture is electrical acupoint stimulation. The application of pressure on acupoints suggested by ancient Chinese charts on certain organs and regions of the body utilizing the Yin energy of the meridian system may effectively treat ailments. This will bring Qi and Yang into alignment, which then activates the self-healing processes in the body.

The stimulation of the acupoint in the aforementioned study was an updated version of a millennia-old Chinese procedure, in which electrodes, instead of needles were used to transmit little electrical charges to certain acupoints on the skin. In TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), those points are related to the internal channels that conduct energy all over the body. It is via the activation of those acupoints that a robust circulation of (energy) is attained.

One can also apply pressure on the Neiguan point through one’s fingers. Acupoints are usually situated in between or beside ligaments, tendons, and bones. They however, are not located on arteries, blood vessels, or bones, but instead in the depressions between or beside them. Applying pressure on the Neiguan has been used for years to relieve postsurgical nausea, morning sickness, sea sickness, motion sickness, nausea, and vomiting. This ancient Chinese healing tradition has also been used to treat migraines, chest pain, epilepsy, fever, and insomnia.

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Studies Prove That Acupuncture Can Help Treat the Symptoms of Acid Reflux

With the wish to avoid drugs and chemicals and the risk of side effects, a natural healing approach to acid reflux natural remedy is a really attractive option for a lot of heartburn sufferers.

A surge in popularity in Chinese medicine as well as for the above mentioned reasons, a lot of individuals wonder if there is proof behind the treatments offered by many acupuncturists.

Since people react differently to acupuncture treatment and that in Chinese medicine, a condition can have different causes, it is impossible to say whether acupuncture will work for you. The best thing to do is to try it out and see if it helps you with your problem or not.

These past recent years, there has been a rise in interest in acupuncture therapy. Nine years ago, a Chinese gastroenterologist performed a few experiments that studied the effectiveness of acupuncture and other traditional Chinese medicine modalities in the treatment of acid reflux.

In these experiments which were published in the American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, August 2005, it was showed that the TLESRs (transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations), functions that directly involve acid reflux, were lessened with the use of an enhanced acupuncture technique known as electrical acupuncture point stimulation. The experiments utilized very weak stimulation on the wrist acupoint known as the Neiguan point.

The TLESRs was significantly lessened by about 40% from 6/hour to just about 3.5/hr. The placebo group whose members received sham or placebo acupuncture (acupuncture treatment on the hip) also experienced a lowering of their TLESR’s but the decrease was quite insignificant (only 0.02/ hour).

Your own unique constitution, of course, will determine whether acupuncture would work for you or not. It’s best to try it a few times and see how you respond to the treatment. For a lot of acid reflux patients, a traditional form of acupuncture which is much less expensive than electrical acupoint stimulation has worked successfully for them. Furthermore, traditional modes of acupuncture therapies are now covered by a lot of health insurance companies.

Treating acid reflux using acupuncture and Chinese medicine in Pembroke Pines has actually been performed by acupuncturists for thousands of years. Acupuncture has been used to treat acid reflux and GERD symptoms including vomiting, nausea, burning, and pain. Recent studies have shown that acupuncture treats acid reflux by changing the way nerve cells communicate with one another. It also has the ability to affect the manner the central nervous system secretes specific chemicals in the bloodstream which normalizes the function of the lower esophageal sphincter.

Although electro-point stimulation was used in lieu of needles in these studies, the research conductors believe that traditional needling acupuncture will work the same way for the stimulation of a specific acupoint and thus have the same therapeutic effect as that of electro-point stimulation therapy.

Acupressure can also be used as an alternative to acupuncture or electro-point stimulation especially if the patient has a dislike for needles. Applying manual pressure on the P6 or Neiguan acupoint can help relieve the symptoms of acid reflux and GERD.

Acupoints Used To Treat Acid Reflux

In Australia, scientists at the University of Adelaide performed studies about the use of gentle electrical pulses to help stimulate the P6 (pericardium 6) and the Neiguan acupuoints that are both connected to the upper gastrointestinal disorder known as acid reflux. The result of the stimulation of these points showed the lessening of the relaxations of the LES or lower esophageal sphincter. More often than not, the syndrome of acid reflux is caused by the relaxation of the LES. The stimulation of the acupoints greatly decreased transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations (TLESRs) from about 6 per hour to 2 ½ per hour. This lowering of the TLESRs was seen as being substantially higher compared to that of the placebo group, the group in which members were given a fake electrical stimulation on the hip.

Similar to acupuncture but without the use of needles, acupressure is a component of traditional Chinese medicine that uses the hand to apply pressure on acupoints that are traditionally treated with acupuncture needles. Another and more recent type of acupuncture, electrical acupoint stimulation, uses mild pulses of electricity to boost stimulation to the targeted acupoints. By the use of manual pressure to the acupoints, certain organ systems of the body can effectively treat acid reflux and other conditions using the negative aspect of qi (life energy) known as yin. In this process, qi and yin are brought into balance thus enabling the body to self-heal.

The stimulation of the acupoint from the aforementioned study was an updated version of the age-old Chinese technique of acupuncture but instead of using needles, electrodes were used to dispatch mild electrical currents into pre determined acupoints on the skin. Based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, these acupoints are directly linked to the internal channels that transmit energy (qi) all over the body. When these energy channels are stimulated, the result is a restoration of normal qi flow in the body.

Using your fingers, you can also apply pressure to the P6 point. One can usually locate an acupoint in between and beside ligaments, tendons and bones. Acupoints cannot be found along arteries, blood vessels or bones but are often found in the depressions between or beside them. Applying pressure on the P6 point has been used by adherents and practitioners for ages to treat conditions such as postsurgical nausea, morning sickness, sea sickness, motion sickness, nausea and vomiting. Acupressure, of course, can also be used to treat acid reflux, migraines, chest pain, epilepsy, fever and insomnia. A very helpful acupressure-type of instrument known as “sea bands” or acupressure wrist bands can be used to treat the aforementioned conditions. The acupressure wrist band has a small button made of plastic which when pressed puts pressure to the P6. This type of instrument is known to be very effective in relieving acid reflux.

 

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