Is it possible that by stimulating pressure points on the hand, a person can alleviate pain and treat any number of ailments? This is the philosophy behind traditional acupuncture treatments and qi, the Chinese term for vital energy.

Most consumers have heard of acupuncture, but few realize that it can be done with more than just needles. Heat, pressure, magnetic fields, and electrical currents are all alternative methods of stimulating acupoints on the body.

Chinese Traditional Method and Qi

According to ancient Chinese medical practitioners, qi is the vital energy that flows through each person's body. Qi follows certain pathways in a network referred to as meridians. It incorporates both yin and yang, the two, opposite forces that together make up a complete whole. When an imbalance occurs in either yin or yang, it causes qi to become blocked and results in an imbalance. This is the root of problems with a person's health resulting in pain, illness, or infection. Acupuncture is a way of unblocking qi and putting yin and yang back into their proper balance.

Qi is accessed through the skin at various pressure points. Each represents a place where a meridian surfaces. There are some 2,000 acupoints on the body with more than 100 of them located on the hands and fingers representing 12 or 14 meridians (depending on which Eastern philosophy defines the meridians).

The hand and fingers correspond to numerous places on the body, such as the chest, heart, stomach, abdomen, bladder, sexual organs, the extremities, shoulders, hips, head, neck, face, internal organs, and back. The middle finger corresponds to the trunk, for one instance.

During acupuncture therapy, the acupoints on the dominant hand are stimulated. If someone is right-handed, their right hand will receive the treatment. Bilateral treatments are accomplished by applying pressure to both the inner and outer sides; for instance if the ailment is in the trunk, the middle finger acupoints on both sides of it will be stimulated.

Using Acupuncture to Treat Illness

It is thought that acupuncture works to treat illness by causing a physical response in nerve cells, the brain, and the pituitary gland. These responses trigger the release of various hormones, proteins and chemicals in the brain, all of which control various body functions. Acupuncture can boost the immune system, alleviate pain, control body temperature, and affect blood pressure. Because every system in the body is connected to these points, accessing the problem area is both easy and non-invasive.

The application of acupuncture in treating a wide variety of illnesses is nearly limitless. Even consumers can realize the benefits by using a home device that is non invasive. Since so many of the meridians are accessed through the hands, it is simple to perform a treatment on oneself and this can present a great opportunity for anyone to detect medical issues as well as relieve their own pain and discomfort.