Acupressure for Fibromyalgia Symptoms - We bring some light into the darkness of this disease
Table of contents
1 Causes of fibromyalgia
2 Fibromyalgia and acupressure
3 Exercises with the ShaktiMat
4 A team against restlessness and pressure
With the release of the Netflix documentary "Five Foot Two" about the artist Lady Gaga, the widely unknown disease fibromyalgia entered a public stage for the first time. Many asked themselves: What kind of disease is this?
People with fibromyalgia syndrome live plagued by pain. They are often unfairly ridiculed for their alleged imagination or attention-seeking. The fibromyalgia diagnosis is difficult even for the family doctor. It does not recognize sometimes that the recurring unbearable pain is to be assigned to this illness. Although the illness in Germany according to the Federal association Fibromyalgie league Germany registered association alone over 2 million humans concerns, many never heard of it. In order to bring a little light into the darkness, we reveal to you more over Fibromyalgie and show like Akupressur the symptoms of some patients to relieve can.
What are the causes of fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia syndrome is a chronic pain disorder whose cause is still unclear. It is often mistakenly referred to as soft tissue rheumatism, but according to current research it is a neurological problem. The brain of sufferers cannot process pain signals properly.
You can imagine this as if the volume control of a radio is broken: The radio actually runs completely normally all the time, but sometimes it suddenly becomes extremely loud and simply cannot be turned down. As a result of this mishandling in the brain, the person feels more intense pain than average and can even be sensitive to simple pressure, such as a hug or a child on the lap.
The fact that this condition means an extreme restriction of their private and professional life becomes quickly clear: The painful fibromyalgia symptoms often come unpredictably and sometimes push the affected persons physically or psychologically to their limits for several days. Except for rare cases in which the symptoms disappear as suddenly as they came, the disease is considered incurable. Sufferers are dependent on finding the best possible way of coping with the pain on their own.
The syndrome occurs most frequently in women from the age of about 35, who are repeatedly plagued by severe episodes of pain. Fibromyalgia often entails depression, anxiety and general sensitivity to strong stimuli such as bright light or cold. Not surprisingly, those who are in constant pain suffer from an enormous amount of stress. Fatigue, muscle tension, cramps and overstimulation of the digestive tract place an additional burden on everyday life.
Fibromyalgia acupressure: practical exercises and tips to relieve symptoms
Many patients report that exercise therapies and acupressure make their everyday life with the disease easier. Trained therapists and experienced masseurs know how to deal with patients who are sensitive to pain, but not everyone dares to take advantage of such help. Often, the disease even limits the ability of sufferers to leave the house at all. In such a case, those who trust themselves can become active at home and apply acupressure.
A particularly large number of nerve endings converge at certain points in the body. You can imagine these points simplified like the locations of body telephone booths, from which you can directly contact your nervous system. A call, i.e. the pressure, then so to speak sends out: "Hey, something is wrong here, please check all areas that are linked to these nerves carefully, dear body!"
Often fibromyalgia patients feel the acupressure point strongly as a painful spot even with very light pressure. It is worthwhile to experiment independently how much force on the points is bearable, because the pressure with which healthy people press on their acupressure points would often be much too strong for the affected person. Since the sensation of a healthy person is completely different, a comparison of the pressure strength is of little use, by the way. Every fibromyalgia sufferer is individual and it is important to accept that.
Since self-acupressure requires strong hands and the ability to apply targeted pressure and not everyone can muster this strength, the acupressure mat Shakti Mat in combination with the body's own weight can help to perform the exercises successfully anyway. To provide an overview of the possibilities of fibromyalgia acupressure for home use with the Shakti Mat , we have prepared a summary.
The fibromyalgia exercises with the acupressure mat can be dosed differently by yourself by simply reducing the pressure with thin clothing and cloths between the skin and the mat. For example, you can use a tea towel, a pillowcase or something similar. Do not be irritated by the fact that some healthy people can withstand the pressure of the Shakti Mat the first time without any problems. You alone know your body and decide how much fabric you need between you and the mat. If you are pregnant, feel unsure or have questions, don't forget to talk to your doctor about acupressure first.
Acupressure for fibromyalgia - exercises with the Shakti Mat acupressure mat
Sufferers of fibromyalgia syndrome often struggle with very individual clinical pictures. Pain comes and goes all over the body for some, while for others it only appears in certain places. The permanent release of stress hormones, which in turn affect the functioning of the body and cause tension and digestive problems, are familiar to almost all of those affected. In addition to the classic supine position on the acupressure mat, we have compiled other active exercises that can help relieve the most common tensions.
The supine position on the acupressure mat Shakti Mat
The simplest exercise is the supine position on the Shakti Mat. The pressure exerted by the acupressure tips on the skin and underlying tissues stimulates blood circulation in the body. This allows the tissues to be better hydrated, which is the basis for releasing painful tension that has settled in the shoulder and neck area. If you are interested in what exactly is happening here, please check out our articles on sleep disorders and back pain, where we have explained in detail how the Shakti Mat for the back works.
Foot massage on acupressure points LV3 and GB41
On the top of the foot are two acupressure points that fibromyalgia patients particularly often report that their stimulation has both a soothing and preventive effect on pain throughout the body. LV3 is also known as an antispasmodic point and is used in acupressure to relieve spasms and muscle pain of all kinds in the body. Pressure on GB41 is applied to relieve pain as well as pressure in the lateral areas of the body and to relieve headaches. How to find the points:
LV3 is located about one and a half thumb widths above the end of the gap between the big toe and the second toe. The point lies between the two palpable bones and in some cases hurts with even light pressure.
GB41 lies a thumb's width above the end of the gap between the little toe and the fourth toe. You will also find this point between the palpable bones. Again, the point may be painful even with gentle pressure.
Now place one finger on each point and slowly massage a tiny bit in the direction of the toe for two minutes with just enough pressure to be clearly noticeable. Keep your fingers in almost the same position the whole time. You will start again and again on the point at the top and massage in the direction of the toe. Alternatively, you can simply hold the points down if your fingers are strong enough. When you have completed the movement, switch to the other foot.
Arms kneading with shaktimat at table
Place your Shakti Mat on the table in front of you. The edge of the mat should be flush with the edge of the table or even a little beyond it. Now place your forearms and hands in front of you on the acupressure mat so that almost your entire lower arm lies flat until just before the elbow.
Now apply as much pressure on your arms as you can stand at about the height of the table edge. Pull your arms back a few centimeters and apply pressure again. Continue to move away from the table and place another part of your forearm with pressure on the edge of the table until you reach the heels of your hands. Then perform the exercise backwards until the whole forearm is on the mat again. Take your time. Slow and steady pressure works best here.
The toe acupressure
Almost everyone has heard of foot reflexology. The acupressure mat Shakti Mat is perfectly suited to stimulate these reflex zones, which are also based on acupressure points. But for many fibromyalgia patients it is very painful to stand with the whole foot on the mat.
However, since the reflex zones for the brain, neck and spine are located in the front of the foot, the following movement is as simple as it is helpful:
Put the mat on the floor and place half of your feet on it. Now, for one to two minutes, alternately apply more pressure on the left foot and then the right foot, as if you were stepping on the spot without really lifting the front sole of the foot.
Roll out the lower back
In the lumbar region in particular, acupressure points are concentrated in a very small area and are used to relieve pain in the abdomen, legs and digestive problems. Those who move little, as is often the case with fibromyalgia patients when the pain forces them to their knees, often suffer from adhesions of the fascial tissue in the lumbar region. Especially in women, these tensions are sometimes almost unbearable at times of menstruation, pain spurts of the body or menopause.
In order to press the helpful acupressure points in the lumbar region and loosen stuck tissue, first place your mat on the floor or in bed. Now lie on it so that the pressure is clearly felt in the area around your tailbone. Now rock your knees from left to right to achieve a massage. You can do this movement as long as it is comfortable for you. At least you should try it for one minute.
LI4 the hand point against pain all over the body
A useful point for pain of all kinds is the acupressure point LI4. It is easy to find and can be applied effectively with just a little pressure: Place the thumb of your right hand between the thumb and index finger of your left hand on the top of your hand. If you now press the thumb and index finger of the left hand together, a muscle will bulge upwards. Place your thumb exactly at this point and relax your left hand again. Your thumb exerts pressure from above, while the index finger of the right hand holds against it from below. The spot is painful to the touch for many fibromyalgia sufferers and it is sufficient to apply little pressure.
A team against unrest & pressure: GB20 meets Yin Tang
Inner restlessness and feelings of pressure in the skull accompany many fibromyalgics in everyday life, because often their hormone levels are not quite in the clear and tension due to pain do their part to aggravate the situation. The combination of the two acupressure points GB20 and Yin Tang at least provides relief from the feeling of pressure and should also significantly improve the constant feeling of restlessness when used regularly.
The two points are stimulated simultaneously with massaging movements as follows: place one finger at the root of the nose and massage repeatedly with light pressure from the bottom upwards towards the forehead. At the same time, place two fingers of your other hand on the upper base of the thick muscle to the right (or left) of your cervical spine. Now massage along the muscle with strong strokes from top to bottom. After about 20 massages, switch sides.
Head rolling on the Shakti Mat
Finally, there is a simple relaxation exercise that can easily release tension at the base of the skull and neck, both in bed and on the floor:
Fold or roll the Shakti Mat acupressure mat so that it is like a Pillow for you. Now place the back of your head on it and roll for as long as you feel comfortable.
Why actually active exercises? The German Fibromyalgia Association reports that many sufferers in particular experience relief through active exercise therapies. We have taken up this approach. The combination of acupressure mat and movement creates a massage for the tissues that relieves tension and at the same time gently stimulates the lymphatic system. Since everyone experiences the disease very individually, we have chosen a wide range of exercises from which you can select those that are particularly helpful for you. We wish you a lot of strength on your way with fibromyalgia.
If you would like to share your thoughts on the topics acupressure and acupressure mat for fibromyalgia and encourage other sufferers or ask questions, feel free to leave us a comment or join our Facebook group , where you can exchange ideas with like-minded people.
Sources for this article:
Andrews, Synthia and Dempsey, Bobbi: Acupressure & Reflexology for Dummies. Wiley Publishing, Indianapolis 2007. p. 58 ff.
Dr. Stein, Aaron: Acupressure Guide. Alleviate Headaches, Neck and Joint Pain, Anxiety Attacks and Other Ailments. Mobile Reference, 2nd edition, Canada 2009. p. 80 ff.
Dr. Dr. med. Friedel, Walter Eckart (Federal Association German Fibromyalgia Association e.V.): "Soft tissue rheumatism! Is not a synonym for the fibromyalgia syndrome. Bad Kissingen, 2016. p. 1 f.
Knevels, Rolf (Fibromyalgia League Germany e.V.): The Fibromyalgia Syndrome. 2007 via: http://fibroliga.alfahosting.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=36 (Accessed: 10.10.2018)
MD Clauw, Daniel J.: Fibromyalgia. A Clinical Review. Abstract, 2014
Reed Gach, Michael: Healing Points. Acupressure for the self-treatment of diseases. Knaur, Munich 1992. p 297 ff.
ZDF: Documentary 37 degrees. Pain, let up! When life becomes a torment. 2018