Written by Injae Choe, Ph.D., LMT
In the current wave of excitement surrounding alternative medicine within mainstream America, many people could readily become filled with hope and passion upon their first encounter with eastern-style acupressure. Similar to the practice of acupuncture, but relying on manual pressure rather than needles (let’s face it, many people are simply afraid of needles of any sort), acupressure is also founded on a system of meridians and acupoints. This intricate traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) system provides the passageways of chi (life energy) flow throughout our bodies. In this regard, it seems to offer an exciting alternate human physiology to be investigated and utilized, beyond the material circulatory, lymphatic, digestive, nervous, etc. systems that form the basis of western biomedicine.

Even if the TCM system of meridians and points, each relating a distal body part or region to a specific internal organ (thus constituting the “reflexology” inherent in various eastern healing traditions), still needs to meet numerous rigorous criteria to be considered a hard science in a western sense, it is precisely some of its exotic “alternative” characteristics that could appeal to a growing population who is disillusioned with many of the original promises of allopathic medicine. In particular, with its emphasis on the big-picture interactions between different aspects of the human body, the TCM system encourages practitioners and patients alike to adopt a holistic perspective on the ongoing, dynamic processes of their health conditions over time, rather than the static, malfunctioning components of their ailments, as if the human body is nothing more than an elaborate piece of machinery only suited to being examined one snapshot at a time. This no doubt appeals to all those who, after exhausting all kinds of medical tests and measurements, still yearn for a fuller answer as to the true root cause of their prevailing complaints.

In order to fully appreciate the value of acupressure today, we need to first be mindful of the importance of context and setting. To a large extent, we are indeed comparing apples to oranges when trying to hold traditional (that is, dating back or time-tested through thousands of years) eastern healing modalities up against modern western reductionist science standards, in a sort of one-to-one correspondence way. One major caveat here is that it is futile, for instance, to test the validity of each acupoint or meridian one by one in an artificial laboratory. Any experienced practitioner of acupressure would warn against such an endeavor. Just as, for example, many Chinese herbal medications need to be judiciously administered in a blend form and under a regimen tailored to each patient’s unique situation, rather than in an over-the-counter, pill-popping fashion, so too does acupressure need to be practiced on individual patients in a holistic, compassionate way. Just because someone presents with stomach issues, it doesn’t mean the acupressurist need only focus on the stomach meridian, for example. Rather, the practitioner must invoke at least two other pillars of TCM theory, namely the theory of Duality (Yin-Yang) and the Five Elements (Wood, Metal, Fire, Water, Earth). Under this framework, the original purported stomach (which incidentally is both Yang and Earth) problem may very well turn out to be just one manifestation of an oft-related bigger but less obvious problem involving any/all of the spleen, liver or gall bladder.

Besides striving to apply the most appropriate theories while staying holistic and dynamic, all skilled practitioners of acupressure would advocate what they learned as they first traversed the novice-expert threshold. Invariably, their Eureka moment arrived when they, for the first time, naturally placed their attention on palpation rather than on following a generic prescription of treatment. Palpation in this context means allowing their fingers to be automatically drawn to and locating the true acupoints existing anywhere in the TCM network of the channels of chi flow. In many ways, an accurate analogy here would be what’s practiced in the various Asian cuisines—the skillful chef always relies on cooking dishes to taste and feel, rather than just depending on precise, measured portions of ingredients. Put another way, the expert practitioner of acupressure knows that the map (of meridians and points) is not the territory. They know to take into account a wide range of medical, social, and environmental factors beyond what each new patient verbally reports.

In conclusion, we could assert that acupressure indeed occupies a unique place at the intersection of eastern and western medicine today. Most important, beyond the debates about its efficacy and relevance in a western medical sense, we should always be cognizant of the true nature of acupressure. It is first and foremost a healing art. Though it may not be conducive to being tested in reductionist and materialistic ways, it does fill a major gap in the current healthcare delivery system—at its very core, the practice of acupressure mandates that the practitioner makes prudent, deep contact with the patient, on a level that encompasses all the advantages of a holistic orientation. This could only foster the much-needed therapeutic alliance between practitioner and patient, a key to recovery from any illness.

About the author: Injae Choe is the owner and founder of Sugi Acupressure. He is a NYC-based licensed massage therapist specializing in the eastern holistic style of acupressure called Sugi (“hand energy”).