Acupressure Mat

What is an acupressure mat and could it help your anxiety?

Introduction

For centuries, acupressure techniques have been used as a form of remedy. Pressing your body on certain points give benefits you cannot get from medication. While acupressure treatment takes time, effort, and sometimes a lot of money, the method itself can be transformed into day-to-day tools. One of which is the acupressure mat. The idea of a mat that can press your body up may seem a little strange. But once you understood the purpose and benefit, you can use it to help your anxiety.

What is an acupressure mat?

Basically, it is a thick mat made of foam or rubber that is embedded with spikes on hard disks. To put it in a simple sentence, it is a more modern version of a bed of nails. These spikes are designed to replicate the pressure applied to your body throughout acupressure therapy sessions. The cheap ones are made of durable plastic, while the premium ones offer metal materials such as nickel.

With acupressure mats, you get to enjoy most of the benefits of acupressure therapy without having to attend any session with the therapist. This way, you get to save more time and money.

Can acupressure mat help your anxiety?

When facing a challenging or stressful situation, some people may experience anxieties. Some won’t last long, but some experience severe anxiety that may impact their lives in the long term. The symptoms of anxiety include fatigue, nausea, sleeping disorder, and muscle tension.

Anxiety is mostly treated with therapy, meditation, or a combination of both. There are also alternative treatments that can help, including acupressure. Acupressure can counter anxiety as it switches on the nervous system to produce chemicals in the body. These will provide pain relief.

The direct relation of acupressure mat and anxiety is slightly small. But, there’s a sign that it will help you relax. One of the quickest ways to help you relax when anxiety hits you is to sit in an upright position. You can place your thumb between your eyebrows quite firmly and make circular motions with your thumb. While you’re doing it, breathe through the nose and out through your mouth. This exercise will relax the nervous system and stop your heart from beating too fast.

It’s recommended to use the acupressure technique in a meditation or yoga practice with professionals. Also, acupressure mat will give a maximum benefit when you use it even just by lying on it for 20-40 minutes, several times a week. It’s a safe and simple way to relieve your anxiety.

How to use it properly

It may take some time to get used to the mat. The spikes are sharp and can cause pain or discomfort when you use the mat for the first time. But after a while, you will start to warm up to it and you will feel good lying on the mat eventually. To help you with the transition, here are some tips to use your acupressure mat properly:

Choose the right surface to lay the mat

First-timers often make a mistake by using the mat on a bed or sofa. This may seem like a good idea, but the mat requires a flat and firm surface to optimize its function. That being said, if the spikes are hurting too much, you can use the bed as a start. Once you get used to it, spread out the mat onto the floor.

Apply another layer between yourself and the mat

To help you get used to the sharp spikes, you can wear a shirt or a thin fabric instead of going bare skin. It may help to reduce the pain from the pressure. However, for the best result, it is highly recommended to go bake skin.

Use the mat often and routine

For some people, it takes time to get used to using the mat. But many others have no complaints even from the very first time. Using the mat often will help you get used to it plus optimizing the result.

Conclusion

The acupressure mat is guaranteed to help you with your anxiety. As your blood flows better, your body becomes more relaxed. That is one step closer to the anxiety-free moments you deserve. Play relaxing music in the background and practice your breathing technique during your time lying on the mat. These will help you even better with your anxiety!

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"What Does an Acupressure Mat Actually Do?"

Introduction

You may have heard that in China, people have been using acupressure for centuries. It’s known as alternative medicine in the form of massage. And it has similar principles with acupuncture. These practices have received recognition as alternative health care in Western civilizations. Unlike the acupuncture that uses a needle, the acupressure practitioners use the method by sending a signal to the body using fingers, palms, feet, elbow, or special devices. Some devices are invented to help people treat their health issues at home. These devices include acupressure sleeper massager, acupuncture pen, mattress, acupressure mat, and many others.

History of the acupressure mat

One of the devices for acupuncture treatment is the acupressure mat. It’s also known as the ‘acupressure needle stimulation pad’ or ‘bed of nails’. It was invented in the 1970s by Ivan Kuznetzov, a kindergarten music teacher in Russia. He had some illness and found that acupuncture was best for his treatments. As he couldn’t afford regular acupuncture sessions, he invented an applicator to help him relieve his pain. He inserted thousands of office pins into a sheet of tire rubber. He then tried to lie down on it. Turned out it worked and he patented the Kuznetzov Applicator in 1979. The applicator became very popular and was sold millions in Russia in the 1980s.

What is an acupressure mat?

It is believed as a way to relieve the tension of the body and now sold under many brand names. The device provides alternative acupuncture that you can use in the comfort of your home. The mat is made of layers of foam or fabrics covered with thousands of rounded-tip spikes needles. These days, the spikes needles are not only plastics, but also nickel, copper, iron, zinc, and silver. The good acupressure mat features at least 6.000 to 8.000 of spikes. These spikes apply pressure to many acupressure points in the back. There are also acupressure pillows that you can use along with the mat.

Benefits of an acupressure mat

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), acupressure is a technique used to release blocked energy throughout the body. Once these blockages are removed, pain may be reduced or lessened. Although there hasn’t been much study and proof of the benefits of acupressure mats, some consumers find that it was effective for the treatment of some health problems.

Many people prefer to do the acupressure treatment at home using the acupressure mat. Not only offers convenience, but it also offers health benefits. Here are some benefits of using it:

1. Back and neck pain relief

Considered as a natural way to remove pain, many people believe the mat works best to relieve their back and neck pain. You can use it between 20 and 40 minutes and your pain will go away eventually.

2. Help eases nausea and vomiting

It’s believed that using acupressure help reducing nausea and vomiting for patients who are recovering from surgery or invasive medical procedures.

3. Improve sleep quality

From a study, some respondents were taught to apply the acupressure mat correctly for treating insomnia. They reported that sleep was improved after using it.

4. Reduce headache and migraine

Some consumers have reported that the mat show positive impact for reducing headache and migraine.

5. Muscle relaxation

Lying on an acupressure mat regularly will help your entire body relax. It also can relieve muscle tension and pain.

6. Reduce stress and anxiety

Based on a study in 2015, acupressure mat was able to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. The study was tested on patients that given therapy three times a week for four weeks.

7. Affordable

Compared to the other pain therapy, the acupressure mat is more affordable. The price ranges from 20 – 70 USD. You’ll save money and time seeing a specialist.

Conclusion

If you’re not keen on the needles, but you want the benefit of acupuncture, acupressure mat is a great option for you. It’s convenient and you can use it in the comfort of your home. It works by walking, lying down, or standing on them. Many people who have been using acupressure mats say they’re great for reducing anxiety, improving sleep, reducing back and neck pain, muscle tension, and more. Enjoy these benefits by purchasing one for yourself!

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What's Up with Acupressure Mats & Should You Be Using One?

There is an alternative pain remedy that is stirring the world at the moment. Acupressure mats may look intimidating but you have to lie on one to know that even if they hurt, it can be the best thing that can happen to your aching body. There are doubts about this pain-relieving too but there are many who confess that they have reaped its benefits, too. This apparatus was instantly picked up by many influencers, especially by yogis and holistic mediation practitioners, and caused a buzz. Let’s take a look at how an acupressure mat can help you with chronic conditions.

What are the acupressure mats?

Before we get into the acupressure mat, first you need to know the practice that inspires it. You may have heard the Chinese traditional medical practice called acupuncture that uses thin needles on certain spots in your body to relieve pain or correct a condition. These needles are believed to promote better energy flow in our bodies. Imagine your body as a ravine, as the ravine flows there will be buildups here and there, and they have to be taken care of. The acupuncture needles clear out those buildups so the ravine can flow smoothly again. They release clogged channels and strengthen the others, resulting in pain relief and relaxation.

While needles do not sit well with many people, a lesser form of acupuncture was invented. This practice is called acupressure that is done by putting an amount of pressure on the energy spots (or acupoints) using a fingertip or other acupressure tools. This can be done by a practitioner, but if you do not have the time to come to their practice, a form of alternative came to surface.

Enter the acupressure mat, a roll-up mattress with plastic disks embedded into the mat. Each plastic disk has spikes protruding from to act as pressures on the acupoints as you lie down your body. It is not hard to find this type of health mattress these days and each one has different extra features, but they mainly work in the same way.

Should you be using acupressure mats?

Do you get tired easily? Do you suffer from back pain due to back posture? Do you often have headaches? Or do you have other problems like anxiety and sleep apnea? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you have to give the acupressure mat a try. While some people take this mat as a gimmick, researches have shown that acupressure mats are indeed useful for several health problems. Research done in 2015 found that the users of acupressure mats experience positive change related to their health problems after they use it daily.

Acupressure mats are not just for the sick

Even though the idea of acupressure is to heal problems in our bodies, a healthy body can enjoy the benefits too. These mats will help your blood flows better, resulting in a fresher feeling and a healthier metabolism. We all can benefit from that!

Add the acupressure mat into your daily routine and you will feel the difference in no time. If you are into yoga, you can do some poses, such as Shavasana, on the acupressure mat. While practicing your breath, the mat will optimize releases of stress and anxiety. Are you ready to try?

Getting used to the acupoints

Anything new can feel a little strange, especially if it is a hundred pointy spikes on your body. Even though the spikes on an acupressure mat were designed to be friendlier compared to acupressure needles, you may still feel discomforts especially if it is your first experience with acupressure. That being said, you should not worry. Give it some time and you will eventually get used to the pressure. Use it often to get used to it sooner.

Conclusion

With many benefits proven since many decades ago, acupressure mats offer a way to a better quality of life. While acupressure therapy with needles may seem dreadful and unthinkable, these modern mats are easier to use. And why should you spend extra hundreds of dollars if you can enjoy the therapy from the comfort of your own home?

How Acupressure Mats Help You Sleep Better

Introduction

Sleeping is often taken for granted until it is reduced in quality and quantity. The most common sleeping problems are lack of sleep quality because it is hard to drift off to sleep. This condition leaves a person suffers at night, looking for a way to fall asleep. It is even harder to do when you are stressed out because your body refuses to relax. There are drugs to help you fall asleep, but the effect will wear off each time, so an alternative that is not too intrusive is needed. That is where acupressure mats come into play. With proper and routine use, these can be a great tool to increase your health and decrease your sleeping problems.

Do acupressure mats help you sleep better?

We go back to the Chinese traditional approach to bodily problems. There are hundreds of acupoints all over our bodies. Putting pressure on one of these points can give health benefits from pain-relief to promoting better blood circulation. Imagine if multiple spots are activated at the same time? The spikes on the acupressure mat allow it to happen.

While you are lying on the mat, the acupoints along your spine and neck are hit at the same time. Now it may be uncomfortable at first but that is exactly needed. Because of the pressure, the blood flow increases and your body starts releasing endorphins that put your body onto relaxation mode. Endorphins are a natural opioid released by the pituitary gland and then distributed across your body. It is only logical that when your body is in a heightened state and super relaxed, it is easier to fall asleep into REM state.

How to use acupressure mats to help you sleep better

There are several ways to use your acupressure mat and you can approach it in your terms. To adjust the feeling of the spikes, you can put your feet on it while applying different pressure. Since the skin on the sole of your feet is thicker than the rest, the spikes will feel more comfortable on you and encourage you to try on wider and thinner areas. After gauging the pressure using your feet, you can try sitting on it. Sitting on the acupressure mat is far more uncomfortable than standing or lying on your back because there is more pressure on tender areas in your thigh and bottom. Once it feels okay to sit on it, then you can lie on it.

Find a flat surface like the floor of your bedroom; avoid any uneven or cushioned surface so you can get enough pressure. Before you try to rest your back on the mattress, take our advice to bring a small pillow with you. You can put the mattress over the pillows so the spikes can reach the acupoints in your neck and the base of your head. If you do not have one, you can roll up a towel and put it under the mattress to use as a neck rest.

Gently lower your back down to the mattress, be mindful of the sensation in your body, and adjust your position to find the perfect one. If it becomes painful, you can do it with a shirt on. While you are at it, use this time to meditate to release the tension in your head. Notice when your body starts to unwind and fall into relaxation. When you feel you are about to drift off, put away the mattress, and head down to your bed. We bet you will be in the dreamland sooner than you thought.

Conclusion

Acupressure mats are more useful than your thoughts. It acts as a trigger for releasing tension in your body by helping to release endorphins into the blood. The result is a body that is relaxed, better blood circulation, and clearer inner sense. This mat may not feel comfortable at first but it is proven worth it when you feel your body flops into a natural high. Acupressure can help physical problems as well as mental ones; it can relieve back pain or headache, or anxiety and sleep problems. Using this mattress before bed increases the chance to drift off faster and sleep deeper.