Acupressure (acupuncture without the use of needles) is a natural approach to healing based upon thousands of years of practice within Traditional Chinese Medicine. It focuses on hundreds of points along the 12 major meridians as well as a couple hundred that are non-meridian.

Meridians are channels along the body where energy (Chi) flows. Acupressure manipulates Chi in two ways. It can increase it or it can decrease (sedate) it depending upon the need.

The 12 major meridians are associated with 12 major organ systems such as the lungs, heart, kidney, liver etc. Each organ system is responsible for specific function yet they do not work independently. Therefore an acupressure treatment to relieve a muscle spasm may activate points on the lung and heart meridians. Improving energy flow in points on these meridians will help the lungs receive oxygen and the heart to circulate blood to carry that oxygen to the area that needs healed.

For those of you who have had acupuncture/acupressure performed on you (or your horse) you probably know how beneficial it is. Before moving to North Carolina, I had an acupuncture session every couple of weeks. The effects were amazing. Stress, headaches, muscle pains, even circulatory problems were relieved with it. I had an excellent practitioner.

A good practitioner can feel changes in the flow of Chi, and in the meridians to determine what points should be activated. When those points are being activated they can feel how much pressure and how long to activate it for.

This is one advantage of acupressure over acupuncture. Since the former uses the fingers, generally, the practitioner gets a feel of that point. Is it warmer, cooler, softer, tighter, etc? Another advantage of acupressure is that I can use it on points that cannot be activated with needles such as the tip of the tail and parts of the ears.

Here is one, brief example: this summer one of my regular clients seemed to be having minor respiratory problems. Following correct protocol, the veterinarian was called. The owner was told it was a mild case of allergies.

The owner asked me to use acupressure to help make the pony more comfortable. After one session the pony showed significant signs of improvement. Her symptoms were virtually gone. One follow-up session was completed a couple weeks later. To date she is doing very well.

Acupressure, being a non-invasive therapy, is good practice for any horse. I’ve studied acupressure for years and have recently added it to my list of therapy offerings. Typically I use acupressure for specific issues and an appointment is made just for acupressure. However, through the massage therapy sessions I may be activating different acupressure points based on what I’m finding. This adds another facet to the effectiveness of the massage.

Remember that any alternative therapy works in conjunction with traditional medicine, not as a replacement. If you have concerns about a health issue with your horse, please contact your veterinary first.

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