The art and science of massage are rooted in the ancient wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Various TCM modalities, including massages that focus on stimulating a series of “energetic highways” running through the human body.

We call these networks or highways “meridians,” and massaging them - along with specific pressure points along the meridians - benefits the human body, mind, and spirit.

Integrating Acupressure Massage Stimulating Meridians Restores Health

Johns Hopkins Medicine has a concise explanation of TCM Basic, explaining that:

Its basic concept is that a vital force of life, called Qi, surges through the body. Any imbalance to Qi can cause disease and illness. This imbalance is most commonly thought to be caused by an alteration in the opposite and complementary forces that make up the Qi. These are called yin and yang...Balance between health and disease is a key concept. TCM treatment seeks to restore this balance through treatment specific to the individual.

This is the premise we use as we treat patients using meridian massage, which restores energetic balance and flows through the body. Once the balance is restored, and toxins are flushed, most patients experience noticeable relief from chronic and acute pain and discomfort and find it easier to manage existing health conditions. In many cases, routine TCM treatments such as meridian massage also help them manage, reverse, or reduce existing illness, disease, or reproductive issues.

Worried About Acupuncture? Try Acupressure & Massage

Many of our patients opt to use acupuncture and massages stimulating the meridians as part of their wellness services plan. However, we also have our fair share of patients who are wary of acupuncture, especially those with a history of needle phobia. Specialized massages are a great first step into the TCM treatment realm.

While it doesn’t use needles, our massages stimulate the same pressure points and meridians as we’d target using acupuncture, so the outcomes are very similar. While a meridian-focused massage will typically be a full-body experience (unless specified otherwise), we’ll use what we’ve learned from your initial visit to our clinic to customize the massage to meet your current health needs and future health goals.

Most Common Benefits Of Targeted Massage

Some of the most common and immediate benefits of targeted massages are:

Stress Reduction

As with other TCM techniques, our massages promote relaxation and reduce stress levels. The simple act of lying down in a relaxing environment does volumes for decreasing your heart rate, expanding your breaths, and allowing your parasympathetic nervous system to relax.

From there, we utilize gentle, experienced massage techniques to move blocked energy and toxins out of the body. This helps cleanse the body of stress hormones (detox), allowing it to find its way back to natural hormone balance.

Reduced inflammation

Inflammation is an enemy of well-being. When the body has higher-than-normal levels of inflammation (often the result of chronic stress, poor diet, existing health conditions, etc.), the immune system goes on overdrive, and all of the body’s systems are compromised. Inflammation is also associated with almost all of the most common female infertility factors, like endometriosis, PCOS, fibroids, and autoimmune-related infertility.

The combination of healthy lifestyle choices and regular meridian massage appointments (or alternating massage with acupuncture or Qi Needle techniques,

Improved sleep habits

Sleep is an integral part of your body’s health plan. Most cell restoration, healing, and hormone production/regulation occur when we sleep. Once your body’s energy is in better balance and stress levels are reduced, patients find they sleep better. This creates a waterfall of positive effects, including:

Better focus and alertness throughout the day
Improved moods
Easier weight management (metabolism improves with healthy sleep)
Fewer cravings (a tired/fatigued body is more likely to trigger sugar/snack cravings)
Healthier immune response

If you have trouble sleeping, make sure you let us know. We’ll integrate sleep-supportive techniques and nutritional recommendations into your treatment plan.

Acupressure massage for fertility support

Not surprisingly, any healing modalities that reduce stress, minimize or eliminate inflammation, and improve sleep are likely to positively affect health conditions - including infertility. In addition to using personalized massage forms while trying to conceive independently, studies show that acupuncture and massage improve fertility treatment outcomes, particularly for women participating in IUI and IVF.

While you can opt to use massage as a solo TCM technique, the best results are found when patients utilize the full spectrum of TCM modalities recommended by their clinician. This may include nutritional support, supplements, acupuncture, a variety of massage forms, Tai Chi, and more.

Schedule Your Fertility Massage At Mitchell Family Acupuncture

Would you like to learn more about massage benefits or how traditional Chinese medicine can support your overall health and well-being? Schedule an appointment with Mitchell Family Acupuncture for a massage today. We are happy to work in partnership with your existing healthcare providers, so there’s no need to choose between east and west; as we’ve already noted - it’s all about gracious balance!