acupressure
Meaning of acupressure: The acupuncture map without the needles, applied by thumb or elastic wristband, and studied most seriously as a way of settling sickness.
Definition of acupressure
Acupressure is the practice of pressing on specific points of the body with a finger, thumb or a band worn against the wrist, using the same map of points as acupuncture but no needles. It comes from traditional Chinese medicine, in which the points are held to lie along channels carrying vital energy. It is applied mainly for sickness, pain and tension.
How is it done?
Steady pressure is applied to a named point for a short period, either by hand or by a device that holds a stud against the skin. The best known point for sickness lies on the inner forearm a short distance above the wrist crease, between two tendons, and the elastic bands sold for travel sickness are designed to press on it. Sessions from a practitioner are longer and cover many points, often alongside stretching and massage. Nothing pierces the skin, which is the practical difference from acupuncture and the reason it can be self-applied.
What does the evidence show?
The strongest signal concerns nausea, where wristbands have been tested for travel sickness, sickness in pregnancy, and sickness after surgery or chemotherapy. Results are mixed rather than absent: some trials find a modest benefit, others find none, and the studies are hard to blind because a person can feel whether pressure is being applied. Trials in pain report small, short-lived effects of similar quality. The traditional explanation involving channels of energy has no anatomical counterpart, though pressure on skin and muscle does have real local effects on nerve signaling.
How does it compare with related practices?
| Practice | What is applied | Map used |
|---|---|---|
| Acupressure | Finger, thumb or a worn stud | Acupuncture points |
| Acupuncture | Fine needles through the skin | The same points |
| Massage therapy | Broad manual pressure and movement | Muscle groups, no point map |
| Reflexology | Pressure on the feet or hands | Its own zone chart |
All four sit within complementary and alternative medicine. Acupressure is among the lowest-risk members of that group, since nothing is swallowed or introduced into the body, though firm pressure over infected skin, a fracture, or a limb holding a clot carries obvious hazard.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
The patient used an acupressure wristband for nausea during the journey.
Good to know
The evidence base is strongest but still inconsistent for nausea, and trials are difficult to blind because a person can feel whether pressure is being applied, which limits how firmly any reported benefit can be attributed to the point itself.
Word origin
Where “acupressure” comes from
Formed from the Latin acus, meaning needle, borrowed from the word acupuncture, joined to pressure, from premere, to press.