Types of Bodywork:
Acupressure
Acupressure has been used on people in the Far East for centuries. Approximately 3,500 years ago it was first used with animals. Acupressure is a way of restoring or maintaining health with the aid of meridians. These are channels in the body along which energy flows. They are located just beneath the skin. There are 12 major meridians in the body, all of which are paired. Each pair is referred to as "sister" meridians. Two additional Meridians, the Governing Vessel and the Conception Vessel, are unpaired. Acupoints are points that lie along the meridians where the electrical conductivity is higher than that of the surrounding skin. Due to the fact that acupoints lie close to the surface of the skin, they can be manipulated by finger pressure to directly affect the health of the organ with which that particular meridian is associated.Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a term that includes numerous complementary health modalities such as acupressure, acupuncture, meditation, herbal medicine and exercises. Each modality of TCM is based on the 5-element theory which is the organizing principle of this healing work. The elements are earth, metal, wood, fire and water. Each element corresponds with particular organs and processes (such as digestion, respiration, circulation, elimination, etc.) in the body. In addition, there are particular times of the day when the organs are most active, which has a bearing on how they are treated. Traditional Chinese Medicine is now practiced worldwide. The five element theory includes two cycles—the Creation and the Control cycle. By understanding these cycles, it is possible to understand what is happening in the body at different times.
The Creation cycle is one in which elements in the earth give rise to one another. Earth creates metal, metal creates water, water creates wood, wood creates fire and fire creates earth. The Creation cycle is based on the control of elements by one another. Earth controls water, metal controls wood, water controls fire, and wood controls earth. This prevents elements in the earth from growing exponentially out of control—and maintains balance. This is a vast oversimplification of a very complex type of medicine, but to discuss it in more depth would beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say, that TCM takes a lifetime to master. For more information on Traditional Chinese Medicine, I recommend "Four Paws, Five Directions," by Cheryl Schwartz, DVM.