Understanding Hand Reflexology and Acupressure
Published over 2,000 years ago, Huangdi Neijing (The Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor) holds that the parts of a human body have a dialectical relationship with the entire bodily system. They are also united: Each part of the body is closely related to the zang organs and fu organs, meridian channels, and collateral vessels. Hand reflexology and acupressure are alternative medical treatments that take advantage of this theory. The core tenet is that stimulating a related location will stimulate the corresponding organ, facilitating the prevention of diseases and alleviating pain
So what are hand reflexology and acupressure? The concept can be approached in broad and narrow senses.
In a broad sense, hand reflexology and acupressure refer to therapies such as massage, acupuncture, moxibustion, and the application of poultices to the hollow of the palm. Among them, massage therapy is particularly common. It is the easiest to practice and the most economical, and is therefore the most widely used way.
In a narrow sense, hand reflexology and acupressure refer specifically to the application of pressure to related areas and points in the hand for treatment. They include techniques such as jabbing, kneading, pressing, and pushing. By and large, it is a method of applying pressure to pathological reflex points or sensitive spots in the hand that are related to certain organs and tissues inside and outside of the body, in order to heal certain maladies.
There are more than 70 pathological reflex areas and acupoints in the palm and back of a hand where the neurological points gather. Clinical practice shows that accurate application of a specific technique over a period of time will help facilitate positive stimulation of internal organs and help strengthen their function in order to maintain health and prevent the occurrence of certain acute or chronic diseases.
1. Preparation
Hand reflexology and acupressure therapy (hereafter, this term is used specifically in the narrow definition of massaging with fingers) requires no special venue, but enough natural light and little external noise. Before conducting hand reflexology and acupressure, trim your fingernails to about 1 mm long, levelling the flesh tip of the finger, and polish the edges so they are smooth. Long nails tend to scratch the skin, but if they are too short, they may not produce the required effect.
As acupoints in the hand occupy tiny spaces, the use of small tools (such as sticks, cotton swabs, ballpoint pens, and other pens) is recommended for easy administration. Please do not use sharp objects.
Tools you need:
Cotton swabs: In order to execute pressure more accurately to an acupoint on the hand, you may use a match stick or a cotton swab. Make sure that the stick does not have a sharp end so that it doesn’t hurt the skin. You may also use the shaft of a pen.
Coin: For use in the hand exercises in this book. While doing hand exercises, you may also use other objects such as a toothbrush, a wristwatch, or a small ball.
2. Benefits
• Widely applicable: It can relieve symptoms of various diseases and conditions, and can promote good health. Many common diseases and conditions in clinical departments (such as internal medicine, orthopedics, gynecology, dermatology, and otolaryngology) can be prevented or alleviated by applying hand reflexology and acupressure therapy.
• Safe and reliable: Free of trauma and side effects, no pollution, no medical dependency, and no harm done to the fu organs and zang organs.
• Easy to learn and administer: No complicated medical devices are needed. Your hand alone is the tool of administration, supplemented by simple everyday objects. The techniques are easy to master, and you can do them anywhere and anytime. It is perfect for domestic health care and the prevention of diseases.
• Effective: Applicable to a variety of conditions, and usually has surprisingly positive results as long as it is administered properly. In addition, hand reflexology and acupressure therapy can be tools for the maintenance and promotion of heath. As long as you keep doing it, you will be amazed at how much you will be benefited.
3. Points of Attention
• Apply pressure appropriately. Press each acupoint or reflex area for 3 to 5 minutes. Each session should last between 15 and 30 minutes. For acute diseases and conditions, administer once or twice daily and stop once healed. For chronic diseases and conditions, administer once daily or every other day, and 5 to 10 times as a course of treatment. Follow the sequential numbers to massage your hands for each disease.
• Acupoints are symmetrically distributed in both hands. When you have finished pressing the acupoints on one hand, repeat on the other hand.
• Do not apply hand reflexology or acupressure on a full stomach, or when hungry or extremely fatigued. Take a 15-minute rest before hand reflexology and acupressure therapy. Take a 30-minute rest after high-impact exercise. Do not perform hand reflexology or acupressure therapy until one hour after a bath.
• For the elderly, whose knuckles tend to be stiff and whose bones become porous and brittle, massages should be soft and gentle. Avoid applying too strong a force.
• Do not perform hand reflexology or acupressure if there is any inflection or festering growth in the hand. Be cautious with sensitive skin.
• Some people may feel slight pain, soreness, and swelling after the first treatment. This is due to over-exertion of force, so force should to be reduced in the next session.
• Relax and breathe with ease during the therapy session. Do not hold your breath.
• Acupoints in the hand usually occupy tiny spaces, so you may want to use small objects such as match stick, cotton swab, ball-pointed pen, or pen to help administer pressure to these points. Do not use pointed objects for this purpose.
• Keep warm in winter, and avoid exposing your hands to low temperatures in case of blisters. In summer when the weather is humid, use an electric fan to reduce the heat, but avoid blowing directly at the person. Hand reflexology and acupressure therapy are best conducted in a ventilated place.
• To those with more serious diseases and conditions, hand reflexology and acupressure therapy work best in combination with regular medical treatment. Alternatively, you can use hand reflexology and acupressure as a supplement to regular medical treatment in order to expedite recovery.
• The hand exercises in this book are complementary to hand reflexology and acupressure. After finishing with one hand, do the same with the other.
4. Techniques for Administration
There are ten basic hand reflexology and acupressure techniques, including pressing, kneading, jabbing, twisting, pinching, pushing, rubbing in straight lines, and rubbing in circular motion. Each technique is applicable to certain points, and the points you should pay attention to are provided, to assist you with the therapy. The following are the eight most commonly used techniques.
Pressing
Definition: Use the tip of the thumb or the tip of the finger to press. The force is administered from the top down, to the acupoint, reflex area, and reaction point.
Applicable to: Flatter zones such as the thenar eminence (da yuji) and hypothenar eminence (xiao yuji). This method is often combined with kneading to prevent or alleviate some chronic diseases and chronic pain.
Attention: Wherever you apply force, make sure that your fingers are closely pressed to the surface of the hand and move in a limited range. The force applied should be incremental, slow and steady. Avoid abrupt bursts of force, evening out the frequency and the force of pressure.
Kneading
Definition: Put the tip of the finger on the point or area of the hand, relax your wrist; using your elbow as a point of support, vacillate the forearm to move the wrist and the metacarpus to knead softly and gently in a circular motion, so the pressure will be transmitted to designated places through the fingers. The middle finger and the thumb are used most commonly for kneading.
Applicable to: Toning the body’s constitution. It is better to apply the force to more superficial acupoints or open acupoints. Kneading is usually used to alleviate symptoms of chronic diseases, deficiency syndromes, and consumptive diseases.
Attention: The force should be applied gently. The administration is coordinated and rhythmic. Better to do it for a sustained period of time, about one half time longer than the regular treatment.
Jabbing
Definition: Use the tip of the thumb, the tip of the middle finger, the tip of the ulnar side of the little finger, the tip of the ring finger, and the interphalangeal joint to jab the acupoints in the hand.
Applicable to: Areas and points between the bones. Often used for treatment of acute diseases and pain.
Attention: Jabbing touches only tiny spots of the hand, but the pressure is powerful and therefore has a strong impact. Make sure your administration is straight to the point, and do not slip.
Twisting
Definition: Use the tips of your thumb and index finger to pinch a specific location and then twist it. This method helps facilitate blood circulation, clear the channels, and alleviate pain.
Applicable to: All the joints of your hands. Often used for chronic diseases and local discomfort, or maintaining and promoting good health.
Attention: Adequate frequency and degrees of force are stressed. Adjust the frequency and force of pressure depending on how the patient feels during a hand reflexology or acupressure session.
Pinching
Definition: Use the tip of the fingernail to apply strong force to points or areas in the hand. Usually, the tip of the thumb and the radius side of its nail edge are used to apply force, or the thumb works with the tips of all the other fingernail tips to pinch the points or areas and apply force to the place they pinch.
Applicable to: Usually where the metacarpus knuckles connect the fingers, and between the metacarpus of the palm. Often used for alleviating pain, the onset of manic syndrome, acute diseases, and neurasthenia.
Attention: Pinching is a method that produces a strong impact. Therefore, apply force incrementally and stop as soon as there is an intense reaction. Do not slip when administering force, or you may scrape the skin. To avoid scraping the skin, cover it with a piece of thin cloth when intense pinching is to be administered.
Pushing
Definition: Use the palm and fingers, a single finger, multiple fingers and the heel of the palm, the thenar eminence, or the hypothenar eminence to apply force to specific acupoints and reflex points. Push in one direction in a straight line.
Applicable to: Push longitudinally in the hand. Rubbing in straight lines is usually added after pushing has been administered for a period of time. Pushing is often used to treat chronic diseases, alleviate pain and soreness caused by strain or wear and tear, conditions of cold deficiency, and maintaining good health.
Attention: When pushing, keep the fingers and the palm flat, securely press them to the skin, and apply adequate force. Do it slowly and evenly to maintain good control of the force. Pushing is usually administered in the orientation of the bones of the hand.
Rubbing (in straight lines)
Definition: Use a single finger, the palm, the thenar eminence and hypothenar eminence, or the heel of the palm to press a specific location on the hand, and move in a straight line back and forth in quick motion.
Applicable to: Along the bone orientation of the palm and fingers, particularly the center of the palm. This is beneficial for conditions such as chronic diseases, cold deficient syndrome, and mental illnesses. It is also recommended for promoting physical fitness.
Attention: The wrist joint stretches out naturally when relaxed. Your forearm and hand are on the same level, with the fingertips pressing down slightly. The administration of force is light but not superficial, with a quick rhythm.
Rubbing (in circular motion)
Definition: Press the palm or the tips of the index finger, middle finger, and ring finger to a specific location on the hand, and move your wrist joint as well as your forearm at the point or area in your hand to rub in circular motion, clockwise or counter-clockwise.
Applicable to: More open locations on the hand. Often used to alleviate age-related diseases, chronic diseases, deficient syndrome, and cold syndrome.
Attention: Rapid rhythm is required, but the movement should be gentle and the speed even. Avoid irregular and heavy-handed rubbing, which will compromise the result.