Acupressure — not to be confused with acupuncture — is the gentle art of using fingertip pressure on specific points of the body to stimulate pain relief and well-being. (Acupuncture uses needles to stimulate the points. Different approach, similar theory.) It’s a surprisingly effective therapy and easy to incorporate into daily life for things like headaches, back pain, neck and shoulder issues, joint problems and even anxiety or depression. No drugs, no machinery, no gimmicks. And you don’t need special training to do it — a simple guidebook like “Acupressure’s Potent Points” by Michael Reed Gach will set you on your way. Subtitled “A Guide to Self-Care for Common Ailments,” this is a straightforward, easy-to-follow and well-organized instruction manual with step-by-step illustrations targeted to specific problems. It’s not a deep theoretical overview of acupressure (which is a fascinating system of Chinese medicine, worth reading about if you have time), but a how-to guide for everyday life. Gach does a great job explaining the basics of acupressure very clearly and concisely, so a novice can grasp the essentials and start practicing right away.
We don’t sell this book on our site, but you can get it here on Amazon. As a massage therapist, I highly recommend it. I use it more than any other book from my massage school days.
