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Pressure of the healing kind
Proving that pressure can be an antidote for anything from anxiety to arthritis.
NOTHING IS irreversible, could well be the dictum of acupressurists. The two-day acupressure clinic which opened in the city on Friday has attracted over a hundred patients, from diverse socio-economic background.
It was hope that brought most of the patients to the clinic as they had chronic ailments with a history of several years. Moreover, there is no fear of side-effects to fear as acupressure does not advocate any medicine, it is claimed.
``Acceptance of acupressure as an effective healing system devoid of side-effects, is gradually overcoming urban resistance,'' says George Jacob, of the Acupressure and Holistic Health Centre, Santhigram, which has opened a two-day free clinic in the city.
``Often, patients try their hand at acupressure after all other treatment systems fail to yield result,'' says George, a practitioner who learnt the nuances from a group of physicians in Gujarat.
Often referred to as "acupuncture without needles'', acupressure seeks remedies through application of deep finger pressure at points located along an invisible network of energy channels, also called meridians. The body's vital energy flows along 14 meridians and oriental physicians are said to have mapped hundreds of sensitive "acupressure'' points along these meridians.
With all nodes leading to the base of the foot, a typical therapy session involves applying pressure along points that activates certain organs. A state of disease occurs when the equilibrium in the energy flow through the body is upset and acupressure applies the principle of restoring that equilibrium flow and the mind-body harmony.
``Touch is an important component of the therapy,'' says Sam Abraham. A gentle massage of the feet during clinical evaluation helps patients relax and open up about their problems. The amount of pressure to be applied along the local points (as well as the number of sessions required) depends on the intensity of the disorder. Acupressurists need to be well-versed in human anatomy. The nuances of treatment are picked up more during clinical practice than from the texts.
Acupressurists lay claim to many a so-called miracle. According to the physicians, a single session of acupressure had worked magic for patients with disorders ranging from Parkinson's Disease to nasal bleed.
These acupressurists are dead against the commercialisation of the traditional healing systems. Their motto is to reach out to the rural poor and provide them a viable alternative to hospital-based treatment.
By M Dinesh Varma
Photo: S. Gopakumar
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