What is Shiatsu?
Shiatsu is a Japanese technique involving the use of finger(Shi) pressure(Atsu) on specific pressure points along energy meridians of the body. Actually, it has Chinese origins and is at least 4,000 years old, which precedes acupuncture.Although it is promoted for various reasons including reduction of anxiety, the best medical evidence is for amelioration of nausea using a wrist pressure point. The specific point is know as Pericardium P6 point or Neiguan. It is located three of your own finger breadths (approximately 5 cm or 2 inches) proximal to the flexor (underside) palmar wrist crease and about 1 cm deep between the tendons of the arms muscles flexor carpi radialis and palmaris longus.
How Does It Work
The theory is based on health maintenance by maintaining appropriate energy flow along so called “meridians” throughout the human body. When this energy flow is disrupted, reduced or present in excess, disease states arise due to imbalance of yin and yang.Beyond that, it is not clear if this technique improves blood circulation by some sort of feedback mechanism or if it releases endorphins (your internal opioid biochemicals) or some other mechanism. However ,the risk is low and the benefit of reducing nausea from various causes, including chemotherapy, is supported by fairly good medical evidence.
Sources:
Dibble SL, et al. Acupressure for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a randomized clinical trial. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2007 Jul;34(4):813-20.
Molassiotis A, et al. The effects of P6 acupressure in the prophylaxis of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in breast cancer patients. Complement Ther Med. 2007 Mar;15(1):3-12.
Gardani G, et al. Effect of acupressure on nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy in cancer patients. Minerva Med. 2006 Oct;97(5):391-4.
