Master Manipulators to the Rescue
In China, they use needles. In Japan, they use body parts. Acupressure, also known as shiatsu massage, is the art of applying pressure along a network of trigger points in the body that affect healing. The ideology behind this is that by using your hands, fingers, and elbows to press on specific parts of the skin, that pressure will excite the self-healing reactions of the body. It is said that acupressure is older than acupuncture, dating back some 5000 years, yet the end results are the same as acupuncture. Applying pressure to different triggers on the body can help fight off disease, cure insomnia, lower high blood pressure, relieve stress and so on. Even arthritis and menstrual cramps have been eased away by this art. Whether it is by needle penetration or extremity manipulation, these ancient arts have worked for over 5000 years and are important components of Eastern medicine.