Acupressure
and Massage Therapy

A Skilled Massage Therapist can use Acupressure points and therapeutic bodywork techniques to:

  • Relieve pain and discomfort in specific areas
  • Release deeper levels of muscular tension
  • Increase the circulation of the blood
  • Heighten the body’s life force energy
  • Enhance a client’s experience

By including Acupressure skills, Massage Therapists can protect their own body’s stress by using Asian Bodywork’s body mechanics. Shiatsu and traditional Thai Massage incorporated with Acupressure Massage can give a Massage Therapists greater power in their healing work and protect their body from various work related injuries.

Increased effectiveness results from combining Massage and Acupressure
for increasing the flow of healing energy throughout the entire body.

Acupressure points on a backIntegrating Massage Therapy with Acupressure points is effective for relieving pain, trauma, burnout, backaches, headaches, and insomnia, and also maintaining good health through self-acupressure. By relaxing the body and relieving stress, Acupressure strengthens resistance to disease and promotes wellness.

Learning where the points and meridians are located adds to a Massage Therapist’s expertise and their ability to help clients on many levels.

In this article, I’m giving you techniques you can put into practice right away. Also, at the bottom of this page, you’ll find Online Acupressure Trainings where you can learn more Acupressure Massage point therapeutics, including two course trainings that offer CE Credits for Massage Therapists.

Acupressure Massage Releases Tension

Acupressure point on a faceTension tends to accumulate around Acupressure points. When a muscle is chronically tense or in spasm, the muscle fibers contract. This is due to the secretion of lactic acid caused by fatigue, trauma, stress, chemical imbalances, or poor circulation.

As a Massage Therapist holds an Acupressure point, the muscle tension yields to the finger pressure, enabling the fibers to elongate and relax, blood to flow freely, and toxins to be released and eliminated. Increased circulation also brings more oxygen and other nutrients to affected areas.

This increases the body’s resistance to illness and promotes a longer, healthier, more vital life. When the blood and bioelectrical energy circulate properly, we have a greater sense of harmony and well-being.

Acupressure points on a tallWhen under stress, you may breathe shallowly. Combining Massage Therapy with Acupressure points can relieve chest tension and enable you to breathe deeply and relax more fully.

Acupuncture & Acupressure are two ancient healing practices from Traditional Chinese Medicine which use the same healing points, but Acupuncture employs needles, while Acupressure uses finger pressure.

Acupressure uses the wisdom of
Traditional Chinese Medicine
with a hands-on approach.

As a Massage Therapist, you are already attuned to releasing muscular tension and balancing a client’s body. By adding a knowledge of the Acupressure points, you can deepen your awareness of how to release blockages in the body, and further expand your ability to help your clients decrease stress and improve their health.

Explore using the following specific techniques to further aid your clients. It will be rewarding for you, because it increases the therapeutic value of your healing work.

Acupressure Massage Techniques

Here are four hands-on methods for Massage Therapists to integrate Acupressure with Massage Therapy to unblock tense areas:

  • Use a massage stroke to easily glide into two Acupressure points for releasing a constricted area. Hold the points for a minute or two, as you have the client breathe deeply into the points being held.
  • Glide into a Acupressure point for a minute or two with one hand as you continue the massage stroke with the other hand.
  • Hold therapeutic Acupressure points that have specific benefits to further help your client with various common ailments that he or she is dealing with in life. Encourage your client to breathe deeply while you hold each point for a minute or two.
  • After a relaxing Massage, use a series of Acupressure points to balance all of the healing energy that has been released. This can further harmonize your massage work and make it more long-lasting. You can also use Acupressure tonic points at the end of your session. This will ground your client and rejuvenate their vital energy to further enhance their well-being.

Learn Acupressure Online

Acupressure is easy to learn online and creates extra value for both yourself and your clients. The easiest way for Massage Therapists to learn Acupressure is through our Online Acupressure Trainings. You will receive short, high-quality instructional videos on a regular basis to watch at home, at your convenience.

— The Acupressure Mastery Program provides 8 to 10 videos a month for 5 months, and offers 28 CEUs. You’ll learn the most potent 60 points in the first 3 months, including their location, how to press each point, and gain an understanding of the benefits of use. The last 2 months, you’ll obtain Acupressure formulas for balancing the healing energy of the body using the 8 Extraordinary Vessels.

— The Acupressure Training Circle is an ongoing 5-part certified program, which sends at least one video to your home every week. You’ll learn the most important points on each of the 12 organ meridians for self-healing and how to work on others. Study how energy moves through the laws of the 5-Elements, healing bodywork techniques and assessment skills based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This is our most comprehensive certified Acupressure training.

Both of these online training programs have monthly payment plans, which make them affordable. Plus, they come with permission to download all of the instructional videos to have for your entire life and the course has a money-back guarantee.