There are scientific findings to prove that acupressure mats have a positive impact on a range of different conditions and symptoms.
However it’s important to mention that many of the results are based on anecdotal evidence, such as lower reported pain scores and reduced stress levels.
If we look at the impact on pain, there are plenty of findings to back up acupressure’s power as a natural form of relief.
Kaohsiung Medical University College of Nursing in Taiwan reviewed 15 pieces of research looking at the effectiveness of acupressure on relieving pain.
The individual projects, conducted between 1996 and 2011, covered various types including low back pain, chronic headaches and labor contractions.
Data from the various projects all came together to allow researchers to reach the following conclusion:
Acupressure has been shown to be effective for relieving a variety of pains in different populations.
The review begins to establish a credible evidence base for the use of acupressure in pain relief.
The implication for health care providers would be incorporating acupressure into their practice as an alternative therapy to facilitate patients who suffer from pain.
Strong evidence also suggests that your sleep can be improved through the spiky therapy.
A project was conducted in 2015 looking at how the treatment could improve the sleep quality of menopausal women.
120 women were included in the study and had their sleep assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).
Participants were shown how to administer acupressure before bed then were asked to keep a diary to rate their slumber.
Findings showed significant improvements for women who used the therapy.
The team behind the study were able to make the following claim:
Acupressure can be used as a complementary treatment to relieve sleep disorders in menopausal women; and is offered as an efficient method to manage sleep quality.
And it’s not just sleep and pain!
Anxiety, a growing worldwide issue, was shown in over 30 different studies to be positively impacted by acupressure.
In fact, every study included in the systematic review reported a positive outcome.
Consumers are also shouting about the therapy’s impact on mental health.
Take a look at the reviews of any popular mat and you’ll find endless numbers of comments from people who have successfully used a mat to treat the symptoms of anxiety.
We should note however that investing in a mat isn’t some miracle cure for getting rid of anxiety or treating chronic pain.
It effectively just treats the symptoms of the condition in the short term, whether it’s foot pain or a stressed out mind.
Though with very few reported side effects, it can be something you add to your toolkit for dealing with your condition.
Here at The Good Body we’ve been shouting about the benefits for many years.
We’ve compiled a list of the full range of advantages for your mental and physical health.
These include the positive impact on headaches and migraines, the way it can lower your blood pressure and even relax your muscles.
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