Acupressure & the Pancreas

Series Summary

Acupressure, a blend of 'acupuncture"' and 'pressure,' is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) technique derived from acupuncture. In acupressure, physical pressure is applied to acupuncture points by the hand, elbow, or with a number of other devices. Acupoints used in treatment may or may not be in the same area of the body as the targeted symptom. The TCM theory for the selection of these points and their effectiveness is that they work by stimulating the meridian system. In this free video series, a doctor of Oriental medicine discusses how acupressure therapy can be used to treat a number of health problems. Discover how to use acupressure for weight loss, depression, diabetes, and problems with the thyroid. Find out the acupressure points for headaches, sexual dysfunction, sinus pressure and stress. With these traditional Chinese medicine tips and techniques, alternatives for dealing with health issues will be within reach.

Video Transcript

"So you have been told you are having some problems with your pancreas or possibly you have diabetes and want to know how you can do a little self care. I my name is Dr. Mark Brinson. I am a physical medicine specialist and a human performance specialist as well. When we speak about the pancreas in Eastern medicine what we are really talking about is what they call the spleen and stomach which really controls all of the digestive functions so when they say spleen really the pancreas is almost synonymous with that. If you do think that you have an advanced form of diabetes acupressure might not be actually the thing for you because you could cause some damage if you have some type of peripheral numbness or neuropathy. If you think that you just need help with it or you have maybe Type 2 diabetes that are some techniques that can help you. Acupressure is exactly the same thing as acupuncture and when applied to points can really stimulate the system. Typically speaking some of the best points for increasing pancreatic function or that function of the spleen and stomach as I mentioned before are points like stomach 36. Stomach 36 is located at the bump just below the patella just to the outside of the leg. There is a small little divot right in the muscle. This is probably the most powerful point that you can use not only to boost the immune system but also to either increase or decrease digestive function it has a regulator mechanism to it. As a matter of fact stomach 36 is one of the points that have been used the most in research because they can't quite figure out how it works. As always with anything with your pancreas, regular food every three hours, getting a good proportion of proteins, carbohydrates and limiting simple sugars is going to help you. My name is Mark Brinson and I wish you luck in balancing your life."