What is Acupressure for Atrial Fibrillation?
Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a medical condition of the heart. It is also known as an aortic regurgitation. This condition involves the rapid contraction of the atrium to push blood into the ventricles. This is the movement that produces the first heart sound.
The flow of blood is faster than what would be normal as the atria of the heart do not have time to fill properly before the next contraction. Thus the heart does not go through the normal contraction but does so at a rapid pace. There can be almost as many as 140-180 beats per minute. Anyone with atrial fibrillation will be able to feel that his pulse rate while at rest is quite fast.
There are a number of conditions which can lead to the atria contracting at such a rapid rate.
One cause includes hyperthyroidism that produces a high amount of thyroid hormone. This overactive thyroid can lead to atrial fibrillation.
Any breathing problem such as a lung infection caused by pneumonia or a pulmonary embolism can cause atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation can also be secondary to heart valve disease.
The most common signs and symptoms associated with atrial fibrillation is a low blood pressure, dizziness, sweating and fainting. Some people have turned to the massage technique of acupressure to find relief from their atrial fibrillation.
Acupressure
Acupressure is a form of Chinese medicine that uses pressure points along the body to bring relief. It is a form of acupuncture in which the person practicing acupressure will relieve the pressure in various points in the body, without the use of needles. The use of acupressure is a form of alternative medicine in which the body’s energy levels are mapped out. Acupressure will relieve the areas in which there is congested energy that is causing a medical condition to occur.
How is Acupressure Performed?
Acupressure therapy is thought to stimulate the energy of the body. This leads to each body system becoming healthy again and prevents illness. The acupressure points are thought to be important as the practitioner of acupressure can apply pressure to the area to treat a specific organ.
This form of alternative medicine is not only thought to bring relief to heart conditions, but practitioners state it can be used to relieve stress, lessen arthritis and decrease menstrual cramps. In some instances it is also needed as a preventative measure to stop medical conditions from occurring.
The pressure applied to the body at these pressure points are thought to affect not just the nervous system, but also the blood and skeletal systems. This is thought to lead to corrective functioning of the organs.
When acupressure for atrial fibrillation is used, the person can be either laying down or sitting up and this will depend on the practitioner. A pressure massage is given for around five to fifteen minutes in specific areas. The pressure point massage will target certain areas and light pressure will be applied. Some practitioners of acupressure for atrial fibrillation choose to use either their fingers or a blunt item to apply pressure.
References
eMedicineHealth: Atrial Fibrillation
National Institute of Health: What is Atrial Fibrillation?
LOMUSCIO et al. (2011), Efficacy of Acupuncture in Preventing Atrial Fibrillation Recurrences After Electrical Cardioversion. Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology, 22: 241–247.
