Acupressure (from Latin acus “needle” and premere “press”), Japanese shiatsu (指 圧), also called acupuncture massage, is a prophylactic and therapeutic healing method in which blunt pressure is exerted on the body at defined points.
Acupressure is assigned to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and can be seen as a forerunner of acupuncture. With an acupressure treatment, the self-healing powers in the body should be reactivated so that an imbalance in the organism can be regulated again. This form of therapy is therefore used for a wide variety of complaints.
TCM assumes that there is a so-called life energy in our body. This is also called Qi. If this life energy is not balanced, the person can get sick - one also speaks of the fact that the Qi can no longer flow properly. By using acupressure at certain points, the flow of energy can be reactivated.
Acupressure is used today in particular for muscle tension, menstrual cramps, back and neck pain, headaches, sleep disorders, nervousness and obesity.