Acupressure for hormones like endorphins and oxytocin: small helpers, big effect
It is widely known that acupressure has a direct influence on the mobility of our body and that hardenings can be loosened by this treatment. But what actually happens on the biochemical level of the body that is invisible to our eyes?
Out of sight out of mind is definitely not a good way to deal with your outer shell here. That's why it's worth developing a better understanding of those processes that are so tiny that you only notice them when they suddenly stop working and result in noticeable consequences.
Today we want to give you a little insight into this complex system with the topic of acupressure for endorphins and oxytocin. We also put together a few exercises that you can use to positively influence the release of hormones in your body.
What is oxytocin and how does it work in the body?
Oxytocin is a hormone that is often popularly referred to as the "cuddle hormone". This term led to oxytocin experiencing a veritable hype as a drug in the early 2000s, which only came to an end when oxytocin nasal sprays were banned from sale in 2007. The assumption that the "cuddle hormone" can be used for everyone like a love or harmony potion is seductive, but simply wrong and rooted in a lack of education on the subject.
Why oxytocin is nevertheless so incredibly important and is produced in sufficient quantities by a healthy body itself, we will now tell you:
The hormone is produced in your diencephalon and has quite exciting tasks to fulfill there. As a so-called neurotransmitter, it is responsible for the transmission of signals between individual cells. You can imagine that oxytocin monitors orders here like an overseer and actively controls what exactly the subordinate cells have to do. In its function as a hormone, oxytocin acts as a messenger, like the body's own letter carrier, delivering specific information that is then followed. For example, "Hey body - make lots of resources available to speed up wound healing;" or "Listen up, everyone: Blood pressure will be lowered from now on!" - a real miracle work thus.
The term oxytocin originated from the Greek compound ōkys tokos and originally meant "rapid birth." The reason for this name is quite simple: oxytocin is largely responsible for the mother-child bond. It triggers contractions and afterbirth, helps stimulate the mother's milk production, and is produced in the baby after it feeds at the breast.
But the hormone doesn't just have its fingers in the pie for mothers. What is important for birth also plays a major role in other areas of the body:
Oxytocin promotes wound healing and thus gives the weakened body a big push towards health. It also reduces blood pressure and has a sedative effect. You can even notice this in everyday life if you pay close attention to your body's signals. For example, after sexual intercourse, especially if orgasm occurred, or even just cuddling on the couch with familiar people, you get tired. This is due to the fact that oxytocin makes you sleepy and calm.
Perhaps you are now wondering whether the hormone is only released in women, since men do not bear children. We tell you quite clearly, no. Men also secrete the hormone because, for example, it ensures the functioning secretion of the prostate and regulates how much sodium the kidney absorbs.
So far, we have mainly talked about the effects that are released when we are together or in relation to birth. The question naturally arises: Are people who are not in a partnership and who have little physical contact excluded from these important effects? Of course not! Even when we sing, get a massage or feel the warming rays of the sun on our skin, the hormone flows from the diencephalon into the body and lowers the level of cortisol (cortisol is a stress hormone). This mode of action makes us feel much less stressed within a short period of time and it increases the moments of feeling good. This is also the reason why in cold areas you can so often observe how many people stay in a small strip of sun and turn their face towards the sun with their eyes closed.
Well, with all the nice effects we've heard about so far, the term "cuddle hormone" is actually totally apt, isn't it? There is one catch, however, which is too often forgotten when people rave about the hormone: the positive bonding effects that oxytocin triggers lead to a strong need in some people to protect their own group with which they feel connected from everything that is foreign to the group. This can lead to aggression and an exaggerated protective instinct.
Due to this effect of the hormone, the increase in the feeling of closeness and trust is accompanied in some people by a closedness to new and unfamiliar things. Change is suddenly perceived as a threat and affected people tend to perceive and evaluate disappointments much more intensively. The overdose of exogenous oxytocin can trigger or very strongly intensify these negative effects.
That's why it's always important to talk to a doctor about the subject instead of experimenting on your own with medications from the Internet. Those who long for positive feelings and a pain-free body should definitely familiarize themselves more closely with other little helpers that can be influenced via acupressure: Endorphins.
What are endorphins and how do they work in the body?
These hormones, which almost everyone has heard of, are often casually counted among the group of "happiness hormones". But what exactly does that mean? Do they really make us happy? And above all, why are they so important for our health?
Endorphins are opioids (or also: morphines) in our hormone system. Wait, opioids - doesn't that include heroin? Well, you're right, but that's not what we're talking about here. Instead of adding something from the outside, let's look at what our inner factories can produce themselves. Endorphins, or "endogenous morphines", are morphine produced by the body itself.
Their job is to regulate pain and hunger, and also to control the production of sex hormones. You can think of it in the body something like this: The endorphins rush in when pain or damage is inflicted on your body. They make sure that the pain doesn't get out of hand and in extreme cases, through their direct connection to the spinal cord and your brain, they can even make you feel no pain at all. To do this, they bring into play their ability to stimulate the body to an increased release of dopamine. This can literally save your life and allow you to function in situations that, in retrospect, would often be considered impossible. For example, if you're badly injured and still need to move away from a source of danger.
Of course, endorphins take care of your healthy physical functioning not only in extreme situations, but also in everyday life. They help you regulate your digestion and body temperature, control your breathing, and ensure that your immune system responds appropriately to invaders. When our endorphins are diligently doing their job, we actually hardly notice them in everyday life. Only when their production is disturbed or their action is blocked by other processes in the body, we suddenly notice their loss painfully.
>What happens when the endorphins don't do their job properly anymore? The effect on our body is like a kindergarten teacher suddenly leaving her 5 year olds alone for a few hours: there is not necessarily a danger to life, but the results that come out can still be devastating.
Going to the toilet no longer works properly - digestion falters. Strife in the form of autoimmune reactions breaks out. Stress spreads, breathing becomes shallower and in the confusion we become more susceptible to illness. In stressful situations, all those systems suddenly go crazy that our endorphins are normally involved in regulating.
Since the release of the hormones can be strongly boosted by injuries, pain and UV light, it makes sense to start here for your own health. Regular daylight and sunlight (no sunburn!) remind the body that the hormone is needed. Stimulating the sensation of pain and pressure with an acupressure mat or, for example, a barefoot walk over uneven terrain, also triggers a release of endorphins. But is that all there is to it? No, the happiness makers can do even more!
Another exciting matter in relation to endorphins is the so-called placebo effect. Already in the expectation of a healing effect, the body releases the helpful hormones. In this way it is possible that the famous "improvement by conviction" occurs, which is often ridiculed. However, if you take a closer look at the idea, it quickly becomes clear that what is happening here is not ridiculous at all. The mere expectation of an improvement helps us to get better faster - a lever that we should use.
In the following, we have put together some exercises that you can use to boost your body's endorphin production. Again, if you have any questions or uncertainties, for example about depression or pregnancy, talk to your doctor first. If you are healthy and fit, you can start right away and get on the mat with positive expectations. Because what have we just learned? Exactly: If you firmly resolve to become healthy, you are already on the right path biochemically with the first step.
Acupressure for endorphins and oxytocin - 3 exercises to help the body regulate hormones.
Acupressure is a wonderful tool to stimulate the body's natural endorphin production. Acupressure with the hand or an acupressure mat relieves tension and stimulates the body to restore its healthy balance. So have pain to heal pain?
Basically, you can think of it a little like a pile of disorganized papers in your apartment. It lies around in the way, takes up space and it would be nicer if it wasn't there, but it doesn't prevent you from going on with your life. You often don't even see the pile in your everyday life, only when you're stressed out you think, "And then this mess too!" - But when a gust of wind comes and knocks the pile over and spreads it all over the room, you are forced to clean it up. As soon as it's gone, the room suddenly feels better, tidier and freer.
This is exactly what acupressure does to your body. Often we don't even see a physical problem in everyday life and function around it, so to speak. But that does not mean that the problem is not there. Through the stimulation of acupressure we can help ourselves to solve deep-seated problems and actively contribute to the healthy functioning of our whole system.
Even simply lying or standing on the Shakti Mat has a positive effect on the regulation of hormonal balance in many people. However, for those who are curious and want more, we have again prepared some very specific exercises:
Exercise 1: Good morning, endorphins!
Physical activity, just like pain stimuli, helps the body to release endorphins. That's why in this exercise we've put together a sequence of movements that is particularly suitable for starting the day in the morning:
Place both feet on the Shakti Mat. If the pressure is too strong, put on socks or use a thin cloth to reduce the intensity of the touch. Now it starts! Turn your upper body 15 times alternately to the left and right. Your arms swing loosely outward, all muscles are relaxed and your knees are soft and not pushed through. Now bend down once to your feet and then stretch upwards as far as you can. Now step down from the mat and circle first the left, then the right foot a few times.
Exercise 2: Di4 meets joint movement
The following exercise is particularly effective for pain that can be clearly located in one place. Look for the acupressure point Di4 on your left hand. The point is located in the soft tissue between the bones of the hand leading to the thumb and index finger. If you press against the point simultaneously from above (thumb of your right hand) and below (index or middle finger of your right hand), you should notice that the spot hurts.
Now hold this painful point firmly pressed for one to two minutes and gently move the joint closest to the pain on the body back and forth. For example, for pain in the neck, this would be the head. For pain in the shoulder muscles, the shoulder joint and so on.
Exercise 3: From the belly
Above we have already discussed that oxytocin, in addition to all its positive effects, can cause us to withdraw into ourselves. This often results in an inwardly turned posture (slouched shoulders, bent body center). We can counteract this effect by lying on the acupressure mat with our stomach.
The pressure on the points in the abdominal area may feel strange at first because we are not used to being touched so intensely in this place. If the mat feels uncomfortable on your bare skin, it is possible to put on a thin T-shirt or place a cloth between your body and the mat. The exercise is best performed on a soft surface, such as your bed or a thick blanket.
Even after a short time in the prone position, many people experience a tingling feeling. This is related to the blood circulation, which is stimulated and ensures that the body's own information chain, which also includes our hormones, is set in motion. Your body police, so to speak, takes a closer look at the abdominal area and notes everything that is tense here and where help is needed.
This can lead to immediate reactions such as a growling feeling of movement in the abdomen or the passing of intestinal gas - which, by the way, is just medicalese for a simple fart. You may also have a sudden need to go to the bathroom. If so: great, follow up on it and don't ignore it. Your body is starting to get the stomach and intestinal tract back on track.
The exercise relaxes your abdominal tissue and ensures, especially in the area around the navel, that tensions that are regularly stuck here are finally released. Then there is room again for anticipation, love, happiness, hunger for a treat and all the other wonderful things that should tingle in your belly instead of pain and tension.
If you want to share or ask questions about acupressure and acupressure mat, feel free to leave us a comment or visit us on Facebook.
Anni
Sources for this article:
Andrews, Synthia and Dempsey, Bobbi: Acupressure & Reflexology for Dummies. Wiley Publishing, Indianapolis 2007. p. 108 f., 313.
Reed Gach, Michael: Healing Points. Acupressure for the self-treatment of diseases. Knaur, Munich 1992. p 309 ff.
Dr. Kenyon, Julian: Acupressure Techniques. A self-help guide. Thorsons, London 1987. p 16 f.
Schwind, Peter: Fascia. Tissue of life. 2nd edition, Irisiana, Munich 2015 p. 180 f.
ZDF: The dark side of oxytocin. Lesch to go. 2016
ZDF: Interaction between psyche and hormones. Scobel. 2018
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