Acupuncture and acupressure are two non-drug therapies which are making their presence felt in the complementary

medicine scene. And acupressure and reflexology are getting the crowds because of ease of practice. But how do these gentle systems work? The large airy first floor room of the Arya Samaj center in Santa ru!" #umbai" $ndia" is teeming with frantic acti%ity. lusters of people flank the four walls" talking animatedly. At one end are two high beds holding a reclining form each" upon which therapists are

%igorously administering what appears to be a massage.

&udging by the people lining up" this seems to be a popular ser%ice. $n the center of the room" like the still point of a turning world" sits a trim austere looking man whose youthful appearance belies his '(-odd years. This is )e%endra *ora" author of the popular book" +ealth in ,our +ands and an untiring apostle of acupressure. A man is a cancer patient. *ora is unfa!ed. Taking his left hand" he presses a few points and watches the man wince with pain. Swiftly writing down something" he asks him to collect some medicine from a lady sitting at the other end of the hall and to meet one of the therapists. The patient hesitantly explains that he is on allopathic drugs. -That.s okay"- says *ora with supreme confidence. -,ou can do so for the first eight days but once you see the results for yourself" you must lea%e it off.$s acupressure then the )a%id that can slay the /oliath ancer? *ora has no doubt about it at all. $ndeed" so sensational are the good healer.s claims that one trembles to mention them. -All types of cancer can be easily cured"- he tells us" claiming to ha%e treated around 01"111 such cases in the last 01 years. +e also claims success in treating kidney ailments" muscular dystrophy and e%en +$*. $ was disconcerted to find him diagnosing many cases of +$* by simply pressing a couple of points. 2hether these are truly +$* cases or not" $ cannot tell. *ora" though" throws an open challenge to all allopaths to pro%e his diagnosis wrong. 3or are his statements moti%ated by a%arice. +is twice-weekly sessions at the Arya Samaj are free of charge and his concern is transparently for the welfare of humanity. 4lsewhere in the city" Samchand Bha%ani )haram" businessman" winces as tiny Sujok acupuncture needles are slipped into the two middle fingers of his left hand. )r S.5. Shah" an allopath who also practices acupuncture and is deeply interested in the holistic sciences" explains that the patient will tra%el home to distant Thane with the needles in his finger" remo%ing them only after an hour. The treatment is for fro!en shoulder and already in four sittings he is 61 per cent better"

says )haram. This" after allopathy" homoepathy and other therapies failed to ha%e any effect. Bharati Bagaria" a 78-year-old housewife" was laid low by a crippling back pain that pre%ented her from sitting or standing. $n desperation" she approached Seema 9handwala" a practitioner of hinese acupuncture. The first session itself yielded results and in fi%e or six sessions the back pain had disappeared. Acupuncture and acupressure may or may not be the panacea its practitioners often claim them to be. But their growing popularity in $ndia can hardly be doubted. 2hile acupuncture is the senior and more respected of the two" it is acupressure which is climbing the popularity charts. :ree training and treatment camps abound" run by people like )e%endra *ora" who claims to ha%e treated ;1 lakh cases since his in%ol%ement in 0<'=. himanbhai )a%e is another pioneer" ha%ing been deeply inspired by two books on reflexology >a %ariation of acupressure? written by 4unice $ngam called The Stories the :eet can Tell and The Stories the :eet ha%e Told. +is organi!ation" &ay Bhagwan Acupressure Ser%ices Bombay >$nternational? runs free training and healing workshops in about 611 centers in $ndia and abroad. Another institution called *eer Sa%arkar 9endra in *ile @arle" also offers free treatment and training courses. Anjali 3e%rekar" Sujok and hand reflexology practitioner" claims to ha%e trained o%er 01"111 therapists herself. And acupressure gi!mos abound" such as acupressure shoes" whose soft spikes are calculated to pressure your acupoints while you walk about your daily routine. There are many types of acupressure rollers" points" e%en bedsA 2hile such o%er-enthusiasm may be both unwise and unnecessary >practitioners say that all you really need are your fingertips" and that prolonged application of pressure such as that arising from footwear and beds can damage?" it speaks %olumes for the widespread awareness of what is an alien therapy" coming from hina. Acupuncture and acupressure >which is further di%ided into other pressure therapies like reflexology" shiatsu" Sujok and /-&o fingertip techniBue? come under the umbrella of hinese medicine. Cf ancient lineage" it was first consolidated in book form about 7"111 years ago" when The ,ellow 4mperor.s lassic of $nternal #edicine was published.

At the core of these therapies" as indeed" all eastern sciences" is the presence of chi. hi >prana" in $ndia? is the bio-energy or life force that mo%es and sustains life. $ndeed" it is the %ery essence of life. The uni%erse is suffused with bio-energy" and its presence or absence within our system is the measure of our well being. Balancing chi is essentially a Buestion of balancing the yin and yang" the twin polarities >D%e and -%e? that are at once in conflict and interdependent. The purpose of these therapies is therefore to ensure the smooth and harmonious flow of chi. $ts focus then is more on maintaining health rather than treating ill health. The flow of chi has a definite predictable route like a well-laid out railway track. The chi

runs along 07 parallel lines called meridians that start from the tips of the fingers of each hand" go up to the head and then tra%el down to the toes. Cf these" 0; are connected to each of the major 0; organs. There are numerous interconnections and stops en route. These stops are known as acupoints. 2hen stimulated in a specific way for a specific period of time" these points can kick start energy blockages and stagnations and can increase the flow. Stimulation of the points through the insertion of needles is known as acupuncture. The use of pressure is known as acupressure in any one of its forms. $llness" according to the holistic understanding of eastern philosophy" is caused whene%er the chi of the external en%ironment" such as one.s home" relationships" weather" and work conditions is disturbed" or if one.s internal chi" the body-mind complex" is not in harmony. +ealing is therefore a combination of correcting our outer en%ironment >for instance" by moderating the lifestyle" or diet or mental attitudes? and by stimulating the acupoints. $n $ndia" acupressure is usually combined with ayur%eda" homoeopathy" nature cure and other holistic practices. Because of their emphasis on drugless" natural measures" they are considered to be safe and gentle" without the formidable cost or side effects of allopathy. Though )r .+. Asrani" an allopath" who also practices acupuncture" hinese head and ear" does not consider the science to be entirely free of side effects. -C%er-stimulation can cause headaches"- he points out. The dos and the don.ts of the therapies must be obser%ed" but within that framework" acupuncture and acupressure can be successfully used to treat many situations that are out of the pur%ey of other therapies. ACUPUNCTURE According to legend" acupuncture was accidentally disco%ered when hinese warriors found that arrows striking them at certain points in the body healed them of chronic conditions. Since then" it has acBuired such a le%el of sophistication that there are now o%er 0"111-;"111 known acupoints in the body" performing different functions" some to stimulate" others to sedate. Cf these" the therapist has the task of selecting 8 to 08 points for treatment. +ow does it work? Two theories ha%e been forwarded by science. Cne is that the needle sends up impulses that tra%el faster than the pain impulses" thereby blocking them. The other is that it releases endorphins >the feel-good hormone? into the bloodstream. Acupuncture came to $ndia sometime in the middle of last century and according to )r .+. Asrani" an allopath who does hinese head and ear acupuncture" it has not grown as it should ha%e. The reasonE -$n the early days" the general practitioners who learnt acupuncture were charging four times their regular fees for acupuncture and were using it indiscriminately.Another factor that has inhibited its growth is the in-depth understanding of the human body reBuired to practice it" which only Bualified doctors possess. $ndeed" if )r Asrani were to ha%e his way" its practice would be restricted only to them. -3on-medicos should not do acupuncture"- says he. But what has gi%en the practice a shot in the arm is the introduction of Su-jok acupuncture" founded by @rofessor @ark &ae 2oo" a South 9orean scientist. Sujok is a branch of acupuncture that contends that the hands and feet represent a mirror image of

the body. The thumb and the big toe stand for the head" the two middle fingers for the legs and the two extreme fingers for the arms while the palms and feet stand for the body. Stimulating points in the hands and feet will heal the corresponding body parts. Sujok is primarily applied only on the forefinger and the middle finger of the right hand" if the patient is a female and the left for males. Sujok has many ad%antages o%er hinese acupuncture. Because the needles are much smaller" it is possible to send the patient along his way instead of making him sit in the clinic. Fnlike acupuncture" which uses anything up to ;1 needles" Sujok uses only four to fi%e. )r Shah practices both forms of acupuncture but is drawn to Su-jok. +e saysE -#y personal experience is that most patients benefit by Sujok.Aditi @andya" a practitioner of ayur%eda and Sujok" speciali!es primarily in hair treatment. oming from a family where each member turned grey at 61" the young woman utili!ed her science background and the fact that her grandfather was an ayur%edic physician to experiment with herbs. @ersistence paid and e%entually she emerged with a preparation. The dreaded age of 61 came and went with nary a gray hair on her head" much to the en%y of her already graying cousins. Taking pity on them" she ga%e them her magic potion for use" and pretty soon word of mouth ga%e her a flourishing practice. :eedback began pouring in that the medicine not just stopped hair from graying but was also causing hair to grow. +er waiting room was soon flooded with people looking for a cure to baldness. 5ooking for a way to speed up the process" she stumbled upon Sujok acupuncture. She asserts nowE -Sujok gi%es excellent results in no time.-

Although Aditi.s primary specialty is hair reju%enation" she has treated her patients for other ailments as well. A transporter" for instance" had approached her for baldness" but she saysE -$n the process $ pulled out his back pain.- Another of her patients was cured of infertility caused by a fibroid. Amreen $brahim 9uradia >;<? has good reason to be grateful to @andya. Says sheE -After my third deli%ery" $ had to take treatment for thyroid" and in a month" << per cent of my hair had fallen. $n desperation" $ approached Aditi. $n a few days" the hair fall stopped and new hair began to sprout.- +a%ing gone to her for a year" Amreen belie%es she has had '( per cent reco%ery.

#any acupuncture practitioners ha%e thrilling tales to narrate of patients healed from

painful and hopeless cases. )r 9. 3irmalchandra Shetty" who has done an ad%anced course in acupuncture from hina" talks of a 0;-year-old spastic boy who had marked deformities in the right hand and had protruding hip and %ertebra. +e could neither sit nor stand by himself. Acupuncture for a few months corrected the deformities considerably. +is right hand regained some mo%ement" and he was able to walk with difficulty. Says )r ShettyE -Acupuncture is a complete system of healing.Cne of acupuncture.s most spectacular results arises from its ability to manage pain. )r Shetty is an honorary consultant with Shanti A%edna Ashram" the premier hospice in the country for the care of terminally ill cancer patients. -All patients are gi%en pain-relie%ing drug" of which morphine is the last resort. $ interfere only when the morphine dose is ineffecti%e or causing side effects. Acupuncture is %ery effecti%e in managing pain. $ also insert a few needles of a special %ariety into their ears. 2hene%er they o%ercome pain" all they ha%e to do is to press their needles and they will ha%e an anesthetic effect.So effecti%e is acupuncture in handling pain that it has been de%eloped as anesthesia in hina and many western countries. $n $ndia" though" this function is unde%eloped as yet. Says )r Shetty somewhat bitterlyE -$n the FSA" one million Americans use acupuncture. $n the F9" 7' per cent of /@s refer patients to acupuncturists. $n $ndia" there are hardly any referrals from the medical community.)r Shetty is dri%en by a desire to do something to heal cancer through his therapy but despite his efforts for fi%e years" Tata #emorial +ospital" one of the country.s premier cancer hospitals" refused to gi%e him a research project. 2hile acupuncture has a long way to go before it becomes a mainline therapy" the therapists swear that it is remarkably effecti%e in many cases. Says )r ShahE -Acupressure is a palliati%eG its effects are not long-lasting. Acupuncture can gi%e a complete cure in most cases.The 2+C drew up the following list of diseases that respond well to acupunctureE acute sinusitis" acute rhinitis" cold" acute tonsillitis" acute bronchitis" myopia" cataract" toothache" acute and chronic gastritis" gastric hyperacidity" colitis" constipation" fro!en shoulder" sciatica" osteo-arthritis" facial palsy" paralysis" among others. $t can heal in rare cases. )r Asrani cites the case of a patient who had non-stop hiccups for a week. After three sittings" he was cured. $t can also help fertility. Acupuncture can also help in mood ele%ation and management. )r Shah claims to ha%e successfully healed patients suffering from intense fear. Another woman approached him with complaints of headache" but the real cause was a deep sadness she had not acknowledged. -After Su-jok" the sadness lifted"he says. #ost agree though that the therapy has its limitations. Says )r AsraniE -$f $ feel a patient is better ser%ed by surgery" $ tell him so.- Adds )r Shetty" -Acupuncture cannot help in emergencies" cardiac problems" epidemics" infectious diseases" accidents" etc.An acupuncture sitting lasting half an hour or so usually costs between Hs 011-0(1" though it can go as high as Hs 611. Apart from Sujok" there are a few more %ariations of acupuncture. Cne is ear acupuncture" where it is belie%ed that the ear is the prototype of the fetus and therefore has all the body parts represented in it. +ead acupuncture treats all the body parts simply by inserting needles within the scalp area. $n laser acupuncture" a laser beam is directed

at the acupoints instead of using needles. $n homoeo-puncture" the appropriate homoeopathic medicine is applied at the tip of the needles. 5astly" the insertion of needles" which are %ery fine" is not painful. So" there should be no fear on that part. ACUPRESSURE 2ithin its short period of existence in $ndia" acupressure has made tremendous inroads into the public consciousness o%er the last ;1 years" thanks largely to the ease of its practice and use. As a therapy it has se%eral ad%antages which ha%e conspired to gi%e it a runaway popularity" fuelled by the missionary !eal with which its practitioners propagate it. Says Anjali 3e%rekar" holistic healerE -Acupressure therapy has to spread as widely as possible if the people are to be freed from the clutches of the present day expensi%e medical treatment.-

She addsE -Acupressure can gi%e one a sound mind and healthy body" as it impro%es blood circulation" unblocks ner%e impulses and relie%es stress and tension.- She is at pains to highlight its ad%antages. -$t is cost-free" simple and can be practised by self" it does not reBuire space >a weighty consideration in space-scarce #umbai?" patients of all ages can benefit by it" it does not take much time and it has no side effects.$f responsibly followed" acupressure in its %arious manifestations can be an effecti%e selfhealing and self-regulating system. 3e%rekar was drawn to it by her own experience. +a%ing suffered for a prolonged period from osteo-arthritis that left her %irtually crippled" she was ad%ised an operation. &ust before the scheduled date" a friend introduced her to acupressure. $ntuiti%ely" she felt that it would help her reco%er" which indeed it did within three to four months. -4arlier" $ was not able to mo%e my fingers or walk. 3ow $ am fully acti%e all the time"- she says. $t can also be" as )e%endra *ora points out" an excellent diagnostic tool. @ress a point on the hand and if it is tender or painful" chances are that the organ or gland it represents is in need of repair. 2hen $ met him" the good healer deftly pressed a few points and diagnosed a sore throat" which $ had de%eloped that morning itself. Sujata @andit" a #umbai housewife" presses the endocrine points each time she wants relief for water retention. Some years ago" when her daughter returned home distraught from an examination she had not done well" a little aromatherapy and pressing of the acupressure points sent her into a sound sleep from which she woke up refreshed and ready to face the next examination. 2hen 0(-year-old 3ishi #egh has a headache or

backache" she hightails it to 9iran /oel" who gi%es her Su-jok acupressure. -,ou can heal headaches in less than a minute.-

laims /oelE

2hen +emlata 9alra" a therapist at )e%endra *ora.s clinic" was diagnosed with sciatica" no therapies helped her o%ercome her problems. -$ couldn.t get up in the morning" my knees and lower back would pain and $ used to walk with a limp.- Then she heard of *ora who offered her a sciatica massage. >This is the massage that the therapists mentioned at the beginning of this story were performing and is apparently %ery efficacious for back problems?. -At the first sitting my pain increased by 71 per cent" but subseBuently" it began to reduce and in four to fi%e sittings $ was normal. Today" she herself administers the massage to others and is deeply in%ol%ed in a whole lot of holistic acti%ities. #ost healers point out that acupressure is the original healing therapy installed in our consciousness. Says Anjali 3e%rekarE -The human being.s original therapeutic tool is his hand. 2e instincti%ely hold the places in our bodies that ache or hurt" like a sprained ankle or a burn. 2hene%er a person is struck" stung or si!ed with cramps" he in%oluntarily puts his hand on the painful spot in order to rub" knead or massage.And" of course" most are profoundly con%inced that" like all good things" it originated in $ndia. Says )e%endra *oraE -Bhishma staying ali%e on that bed of arrows for six months in #ahabharata is nothing but a practical example of acupressure.- And Anjali 3e%rekar points to the $ndian habit of adorning oneself liberally with jewellery" such as rings" anklets" armlets" waistbands" toe rings" all of which exert pressure on that specific point. 2hile acupressure has around ;11 points all o%er the body to remember" most practitioners resort to the simpler hand or foot reflexology or Sujok. They belie%e that the hand and the foot are switchboards to the system and that stimulating points there create a reflex within its representati%e body part. All one has to do to ensure sound health within one.s system or to diagnose impending problems is to press the hand or foot thoroughly once a day. Says &itubhai *ora of the &ay Bhagwan Acupressure entre" which makes use of foot reflexology exclusi%elyE -The results are miraculous.- +e cites the case of a lady who was bent o%er almost <1 per cent. +a%ing been ad%ised an operation" she came to ha%e acupressure and within four or fi%e sittings" she was walking erect. @robodh )oshi" who employs both reflexology and ayur%eda" has been able to get excellent results for slipped discs and other painful conditions. 5ike acupressure" shiatsu" of &apanese deri%ation" also makes use of points all o%er the body. Fnlike acupressure" howe%er" it also makes use of gentle body manipulations. The /-&o :ingertip techniBue makes use of points that go directly to the organ. #ost therapists combine the use of %arious holistic therapies when treating patients for acupressure. *ora" for instance" insists the intake of some homoeopathic medicine as well as naturopathic green juices and fruit juices. +e e%en prescribes charged water made out of soaking metals like gold" sil%er and copper in water and boiling it down to half the Buantity. +e also prescribes %arious ayur%edic treatments. *ora claims that many of his cures are intuiti%ely arri%ed at while in meditation. -#any acupressure therapist ha%e not bothered to go deep into the root of the problem. But my

mission is to heal the world" and $ am deeply mo%ed by suffering. $ saw a film on T* about children suffering for muscular dystrophy and $ was so upset that $ wept. That intensity of feeling gi%es me the moti%ation to go deep into causes"- he re%eals.

+e points to the key role played by endocrine glands in maintaining the harmony and health of the body. Their %ital role" he complains" has not been understood by western science. )isturbances of the glands cause most of the problems" he says. :or instance" high B@ is caused by the malfunctioning of the pineal gland and therefore the point to be pressed is that. +ow does one press the points? There are many methods. *ora suggests intermittent pressing and releasing" others ha%e their preferences. #ichael Blate" author of The 3atural +ealer.s Acupressure +andbook" suggests stimulating the spot deeply and briskly with a fingertip in a counterclockwise mo%ement for about 0( to ;1 seconds. $f more pressure needs to be exerted" one can use the knuckle" thumb or e%en a blunt instrument like a pencil. There is an instrument called the jimmy or the acupressure thumb that helps exert pressure. $n Sujok" they ad%ocate the use of a spiral ring" which you are supposed to run through your fingers. #ost therapists warn against o%er-stimulation. 3e%er press a point more than three times a day" for about two to three minutes" says *ora. The diagnosis of ailments is fairly simple. $f the point we press is painful" it means a problem is de%eloping or has de%eloped in that area. To make diagnosis and health maintenance easy" *ora suggests that we make a daily routine of administering pressure upon the whole hand starting one inch down from the wrist and mo%ing up to co%er the finger tips" the webs between the fingers and the back side of the hand. Both hands must be pressed for fi%e minutes each. 2hen you encounter a painful spot" make a note of its location and then press it for two minutes three times a day. heck out the organ it represents from the chart and lo and behold" you ha%e a diagnosis. 2hile this may work for mild ailments" any serious disorders should be entrusted to a competent doctor. Stimulate bilaterally" i.e. on both sides of the body or both hands and feet depending on the system you use. The symptoms may increase after the first stimulation" but this is an indication that the treatment is working and the body is throwing off the toxins. After applying treatment for the reBuired points" always press the kidney point as well" to

stimulate it to throw out the toxins. ACUPRESSURE DON'TS I I I I )o not use it as a treatment for a chronic" long-standing illness or disorder. )o not do it within four hours of taking any drugs" medications" intoxicating food or drinks or medicinal herbs. )o not use it if you are taking regular medication. $f you ha%e a known heart condition or suffer from a disorder in%ol%ing tissue change or degeneration such as chronic arthritis" cancer" cataracts" tumours or %aricose %eins. )o not use it immediately before or within half an hour after bathing in hot water" eating a hea%y meal or doing strenuous physical acti%ity. )o not do it when emotionally agitated. @regnant women are ad%ised not to do it" especially after the first trimester. 2omen should not press any point on the breasts.

I I I I

$f contraindicated as abo%e" it is ad%isable to go to a therapist.