Acupressures Potent Points a Guide To Self

by Michael Reed Gach

With your hands you have potential to relieve everyday aches, pains and ailments without taking drugs, to improve your health, and to increase your vitality. Acupressure is an ancient healing art that uses the fingers to stimulate key points on the skin that, in turn, activate the body's natural self-healing processes. With this book, it is a skill you can learn now--and use in your own home.In Acupressure's Potent Points, Michael Reed Gach, founder and director of the Acupressure Institute of America, reveals simple techniques that enable you to relieve headaches, arthritis, colds and flu, insomnia, backaches, hiccups, leg pain, hot flashes, depression, and more--using the power and sensitivity of your own hands.This practical guide covers more than forty ailments and symptoms, from allergies to wrist pain, providing pressure-point maps and exercises to relieve pain and restore function. Acupressure complements conventional medical care, and enables you to take a vital role in becoming well and staying well. With this book you can turn your hands into healing tools--and start feeling good now.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Self Help, Reference, Science, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Martial Arts

Paperback

First published November 1, 1990

Reviews

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 5 out of 5]

After 13-plus years of chronic pain, and spinal problems dating back to adolescence, I don't expect quick results from any kind of body work. I do think that if I work with this book consistently, I will get relief. If you're a dilettante when it comes to self-care, this is probably not a program for you. Consistency is the key.

I'm giving this book a provisional five stars while I continue to work with it. Some of the points are hard to find on your body, but I can't think of any way it could be made more clear than it is in this book. You get anatomical drawings, photographs of people treating the points, and very "pointed" (he he) verbal descriptions. He also gives you specific routines you can do for a variety of ailments, pain conditions, and even emotional imbalances.

If you have any pains or conditions that are not responding to allopathic medicine, get this book from the library and try it out for awhile. That's what I did, and I'm convinced it's worth buying.

[Inara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Acupressure is an old chinese method of treatment where you use your fingers to stimulate certain points on your skin whereby the self-healing powers of your body are activated. The books starts with general instructions and explains how to use acupressure, its possibilities and limits. The symptoms and disorders are listed alphabetically and the points are described on the basis of photos and graphics sometimes complemented by prophylactic exercises. It´s a very recommendable book for self-treatment but in my opinion the quality of the photos could be better. I think it is a bit difficult to locate the right points although I have no problems with that maybe because I attended several courses about acupressure. Otherwise I´m not so sure I could find them so easily only with the help of a book.

Website of the author: http://www.acupressure.com/

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not really a book for reading it is a reference book for acupressure. The book is broken down by symptoms you are trying to relieve and then there are very good descriptions and black and white pictures to show the location.
This is very easy to read and follow and hopefully it will reduce my use of OTC medicines.

[Dottie Parish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Acupressure's Potent Points is a valuable reference book for anyone who likes to search for wholistic cures for pain or various symptoms. The book describes the pressure points in the body with clear diagrams and pictures of each one and how to apply pressure to relieve the problem. I've have browsed through this book and used some of the suggested "cures" but not on a consistent basis.

[astaliegurec · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.0 out of 5 stars
Quackery
June 7, 2004

If phrases like: "By lightly touching the Third Eye Point, for instance,... you can enhance your inner awareness.... and within a few weeks, you may notice that your intuition will begin to increase," sound reasonable to you, then this book is for you. If your mindset lies somewhere beyond 12th century China, avoid this book like the plague. All the other reviews here indicate that the people who wrote them believe accupressure works. Maybe it does. But, this book does nothing to explain or prove it in scientific terms. Instead, it spouts mystical mumbo-jumbo as cause and effect. If you're in chronic pain, and don't believe in fairy tales, then, instead of this book, I highly recommend "The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief" by Clair Davies here on Amazon (ISBN: 1572242507). That book actually uses honest-to-goodness medical research for its recommendations.

[Annotaré · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad for a beginners introduction to acupressure for self-help. I've used the lower back points and they work. I also use this reference on clients in my tuning business using the Solfeggio tuning forks, which add an extra OOMPH to their sessions.

Once you are familiar with Acupressure's Potent Points, the book isn't difficult to follow. One good attribute, images are included on the pages discussing health issues.

His format is good. Overall, well done.

Recommend: individual users, massage therapists, vibration sound practitioners

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical and useful guide to acupressure with helpful photos. Still tricky to know some of the exact points, and that is my hold-back from giving 5 stars. I wish there was some more instruction on how to find the points and the book could be more clearly organized.

[Rehab Dynasty Amy Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource & tool for beginners & self-care!!

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great to have on hand as a quick reference to remember where specific points are. It is not in depth with explanations and does not give info on the meridian system, lines and has no charts references these which to me is vital in explaining and referencing acupressure, clearing channels etc. The way this book is described on various sites is that it is one of the “best books on acupressure”, which I disagree with because it gives minimal information. It may be the best for someone who is looking for quick info on a specific ailment but it does not give any info on why or where the pain/symptom stems from, which is what any type of alternative, integrative or functional health perspective stands on, that we are a whole person and symptoms stem from an imbalance.
If you’re looking for a quick simple guide to show you where to locate acupoints for your symptom then this book may possibly work for you. But it does not give you abundance of symptoms to choose relief from. The 3 stars is generous and this book is most likely good for the beginner who knows little and is just looking for quick relief from a few common symptoms.

[Melba Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basically a reference guide of how to help yourself with acupressure. The book offers many excercises for reliving all kinds of aliments. The illustrations are anatomical and pictures of real people showing you where to apply pressure. Still working on perfecting some self healing pressure points.

[Nancie Lafferty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a keeper. Acupressure and self-massage work and this book is an excellent guide for the simple techniques to relieve everyday aches, pains and general health. Very well organized and well illustrated.

[Amy M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this cover to cover, it's a nice reference prn for ailments that need attention.

[Marla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this so many time over the years, it should count as at least 15!!

[Amanda Germaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a great reference book for using acupressure to help with different ailments.

[Jagati Bagchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

for the last five months i was travelling in some of the godforsaken places. this book really helped me to cope with allergy and various aches and pain. but i also believe that you should have faith in alternate healing processes. so at the end of the what worked for me may not work for someone else. but there is no harm in trying.... what do you say??

[Sharon Shoemaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Acupressure's Potent Points: A Guide to Self-Care for Common Ailments is a comprehensive review of accupressure points for many ailments. It is helpful. If would be even more helpful if it included better illustrations of pressure points. Still, with help from the internet, this is a useful book.

[Manna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very nice guide to self treatment using Acupressure. I was disappointed only because I was looking for something a little more text like for the experienced professional, but I would recommend it...

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great intro to pressure points. Perfect for the person who really wants to relieve pain without medication. They do a good job of explaining and showing exactly where the points are.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to help you find the acupressure points in your body that relieve pain. There is relief at your finger tips and it is quick and very easy to do.

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but will leave it to the professionals.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great drawings of the points to press for self-help using acupressure. Good for headaches, colds and a lot more.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have had book for years, but refer back to it for specific issues.

[Samantha]

excellent book on accupressure points

[Catrina Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I constantly go back to this book to assure my pressure points are correct for my stories. Having been taught by my Sensei, I use acupressure on my husband's shoulders, back, and legs all the time.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful, simple guide

[Phyllis Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book on relieving pain in ones body

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. I've owned this for years and use it all the time. Highly recommended.