Dr.H.Bhojraj,B.E.(Hons.),M.D.(Acu) - Scientist Healer  Your Alternate Health Consultant

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Health is not merely the absence of diseases but the well being, not only on physical level but also on mental, emotional, social and spiritual levels. The concept of treating the body as an assembly of separate, independent parts, hitherto adopted by the medical world has been proved wrong and the new concept of treating the body as an indivisible unit is gaining momentum in all parts of the world.

Drugs taken can relieve pain or give a sense of comfort only till the inner intelligence balances the system and completely alleviates the disease. Many of the modern day health problems are psychosomatic, where the mmd plays an important role. Dis-ease of mind becomes disease in the physical body according to Yogic texts. Side effects of the present-day drugs, some so very harmful, are very well known to doctors and to many of the patients who suffer them.

The simple healing system which is known as Drugless Therapy consists of Acupressure, Zone therapy, Reflexology, Magneto therapy, Colour therapy, Pyramidology, Nature cure etc. It offers an opportunity to reduce the medicine intake and provides a cure for many day-to-day ailments. The holistic approach adopted by such simple alternate therapies offers the common man a wonderful tool for healing himself and the family members.

Prevention, they say, is better than cure. The wise all over the world understand the importance of health and take preventive care, so that they live in good health throughout their life. The necessity of the equilibrium of body, mind and soul to stay healthy is well understood by the modern scientists too. The system of allopathy with its astounding scientific achievements serves the man with fantastic results no doubt, but the common man with a minimum knowledge of his own healing mechanism can certainly avoid taking large doses of drugs over long periods just to cure common ailments. He might as well find their cure by practising such simple healing systems.

According to Chinese Acupuncture Theory the incoming primary energy which is called ‘Qi’ (pronounced as ‘Chi’) enters the body and is distributed through ‘Chakras’ which act as regulators and leaves the body as outgoing energy. In yogic texts this primary energy is known as Prana’. The holisitc approach treats the triangle of body, mind and soul which are the main components of the life. Any factor affecting the energy field affects the balance and in turn the general health. Imbalance may be caused by the blockage or leakage of energy in a particular channel or meridian. The blockage or the leakage are mainly caused by tension and stress of modem everyday life and negative feelings or thoughts.

According to Acupressure theory if the blockages or leakages are removed by applying rhythmic pressure on specific points then the energy flow is normalised or restored. The physical, energy and mental levels have to be in a balance for us to stay healthy. According to the Chinese theory, ‘Balance is health and imbalance is disease’.

All for Health and Health for all.

Cure the Disease and don’t treat the symptom

Universally now accepted is the Acupressure system.

Press and release to give some pleasurable pain.

Relax and rejuvenate to restore the balance again.

Energy, ‘the qi’, flows on each side on zones five.

Stored up for ‘yin’ and ‘yang’ for you and I.

Stress is relieved thro’ a dozen meridians, paired.

Unpaired are two others, not to be spared.

Reflexology is the basis of zone therapy.

Especially of foot, but of hand, face and ear no doubt.

---Mrs.Vimala Ramasubramanian.

What is Acupressure?

It is a simple yet a remarkably effective way of treating common as well as complicated ailments. Acupressure is known as Needleless Acupuncture. ‘A CU’, is the Latin word for ‘needle’ and ‘puncture’ refers to ‘pricking’.

Instead of pricking with needles at the Acupuncture points, rhythmic pressure is applied for one or two minutes to balance the energy flow which cures the disease.

It originated in China and the Western world has taken it up seriously, after the former USA President Mr. Nixon’s visit to China in 1971. where one of his aides was treated with Acupuncture for acute pain in the abdomen.It is now widely practised in USA, Europe and in Eastern countries.

Scientifically the exact theory is not yet established but there is enough practical evidence of its effectiveness. The early Chinese theory explains that the root cause of all diseases, in terms of Acupressure, is a disorder of energy vibration. Every cell in the body vibrates at a specific rate and when this vibration of energy goes beyond the normal range, it gives rise to a disease.

Acupressure aids in the restoration of correct and harmonious vibration and in this way restores the health.

No medical knowledge is essential. With just a basic knowledge of human anatomy, one can practice this system and provide good relief to those in disease.

Anybody. from young to the old alike, can practice and get the benefits. Only feather-touch is recommended for the infants and for the older people the pressure has to be soothing.

When an Acupressure point is painful, there are three ways of applying pressure, depending upon the intensity of pain.

1. ‘ACU TOUCH’ - With the thumb or index finger give feather touch in case of severe pain at a         point.

2. ‘ACU PRESSURE’ - A pleasurable, rhythmic, on-and-off pressure with the thumb or index finger for normal points where one can tolerate pain.

3. ‘ACU MASSAGE’ - In this technique, clockwise or anti-clockwise rotation is carried out to increase or decrease the energy flow in the body channel.

The Acu touch or Acu pressure or Acu massage has to be applied on the particular points for just two minutes. Pleasurable pain is the goal.

As a preventive measure, it is normally found to be more beneficial when pressure is applied early in the morning or in the evening, when the Yin (Negative) and the Yang (Positive) energies are equal. It can also be done at any other time but it should be avoided for two hours after a heavy meal or one hour after a light meal. As a curative measure, it can be applied on the onset of the symptoms.

It is very effective for relieving pain in the body like head ache, back-ache, knee pain etc. In all other diseases, considerable improvement has been noticed. Any problem without any pathology in it can be effectively relieved with acupressure.

Normally, for relieving pain, one can expect results immediately after acupressure and within a few days full cure is possible. But for certain diseases aminimum of four to eight weeks are required to notice the changes.

Of course, it is possible to learn Acupressure without attending any training course. But one does require practical experience for the body balance (energy balance) and the relaxation desserts. Attending a training course can make you confident in this technique.

This therapy is not to be done throughout the day just because it brings relief. Just practice it for fifteen minutes in the morning or in the evening. Let the nature inside your body take care of the healing process.

It is not recommended during the early and late quarter of pregnancy but can be done under an expert’s guidance.

it is not recommended for curing degenerative diseases eg.. Cancer. Relaxation desserts help a lot in such cases.

Do not apply more pressure on Medulla points.

The best part of the treatment is that there is no side effect at all. Occasionally in the initial phase, slight discomfort may be observed in a few cases, when the body tries to normalise by rejecting the accumulated toxins from the body. No harm will be done even if a wrong point is pressed.

• Since simple healing systems work without any specific diagnosis, overall treatment can be given to correct all the imbalances.

• Listen to the complaints carefully.

• Soreness or pain is common at most points and does not by itself indicate any abnormality.

• Never prescribe any medicines if you are not authorised by your formal qualification.

• Never treat any specific illness but give importance to those specific points.

• Describe your technique willingly and educate them by demonstration.

• Share your knowledge and encourage self-help technique.

• Look out for any visible abnormality in feet and hands.

• Pleasurable pain should be the goal; intersperse the acupressure sessions with desserts and relax the person.

• Never work on affected areas; keep your finger-nails trimmed so that they do not make any contact with the skin.

• Although one can use health gadgets if many people are to be treated at once, there is no substitute for human hand and human touch.

• Never try to do all at once. Each treatment can be done for ten to twenty minutes and the results are expected within four to eight weeks. Severe problems will take a longer time.

• Consistency and regularity are essential to get results. Twice a week is recommended for the frequency of treatment with self-help.

• Occasionally body may react to get ride of the toxins accumulated in the body. Work on the kidney area at the end of the treatment.

• Position the person in a relaxed way and have a direct eye contact while applying pressure to observe the reactions. Wash your hands clean using a soap.

• It is safe for everyone including babies and old people.

• Apply light pressure on the feet of the infants and the pressure has to be soothing for the old people.

• Finally the attitude of the therapist is very important for the success of the treatment.

• Headache

A colleague of mine once came to me seeking permission to go home early and rest as he had a severe headache. I told him that the headache could be due to tension and advised him to press and release the root of the thumb nail (Fig. 34) for two to three minutes on both the thumbs before leaving office.

A little later to my surprise I found the gentleman still working on the spacecraft. On enquiry, I learnt that he had got immediate relief from headache.

In one of our follow up classes, Mr.T. D. Prasad Rao, Administrative Officer at the Air Force Station and Mr.Hareendran from PNB reported similar results with their own colleagues.

Based on my experience, manipulating this point can work miraculously for tenMon related headaches. The principle is very simple. The hard nail represents the skull. The soft portion at the root of the nail represents the neck. By activating the root of the thumb nail or big toe nail, we can release the blockage of energy at the neck region.

• Hyper Acidity

Hyper-acidity is mainly due to worry, anxiety and tension on one hand and too much spicy food on the other. One should try to remove the root cause of a problem rather than trying to solve the symptoms of the disease.

• Neck Pain (Cervical Spondilysis)

A relative of my family doctor, once came all the way from Belgaum to Bangalore to take acupressure treatment for her cervical spondilysis. She had been suffering from that problem for almost three years. I happened to meet her at my doctor’s clinic and he asked me to try acupressure on her.

On the first day, I activated the root of the thumb (Fig. 35) and the toes which reduced her neck pain immediately. Then I advised her to rotate the thumb and toes slowly clockwise and anti-clockwise, which is equivalent to neck exercises.

On the second day, I did neck-balancing and she was totally relieved of her neck pain. On the third day, the same treatment was repeated and she was all smiles with no pain to report.

Basically, cervical spondlytis is caused due to constant tension and stress accumulated over a period of time. The neck muscles get stiff due to tension and medulla massage will help a lot in relieving the tension.

• Back Ache

In one of my Yoga classes, I noticed a lady who seemed to have a problem sitting up erect for a few minutes of meditation. She told me that she had been suffering from back-ache for nearly three years and that on that particular day it was severe. I activated the painful point on the spinal reflexes on the feet (Fig. 36). To her total surprise the pain vanished immediately. She told us all that she had heard of miracle cure by saints and that this cure was the first time ever she saw a miracle happen. I clarified that it was the activation of those points which had released the blockage in the channel and that had relieved the pain; there was no miracle involved.

The spine has to be kept in a perfect condition if one wants to avoid back-aches in the later stages. After all, as they say, a man is only as strong as his back.

Simple bending exercises explained in this should be worked out everyday as an insurance against back-ache. Acupres sure can effectively cure back-aches, but one has to exercise as a preventive measure, especially when the back is involved. Reducing a potbelly by walking will certainly reduce the chances of getting back-aches.

• Abnominal pain during periods

After a while she was up and  told me that her  pain had vanished. She became a firm believer of the system
and began to take her trainingseriously. She has always beena great cook with that littletasty something in her hands. She now also has a cure for you-name-it on her finger-tips.

It is always better to have a thorough check-up with the doctor for any pain in the body. Some injuries or diseases need medicinal help.

• Catch in the Back

When one gets a catch somewhere in the body, especially in the back, it becomes unbearable and one will not be able to bend or just do anything. It happened to me once. It was in spite of my daily exercise and yoga, and I could not believe it could happen to me. A close friend of mine expressed in disbelief, saying such a thing could never happen to me. But, there I was, as helpless and stuck as you could imagine.

I requested my friend to activate the LI-4 point (Fig. 38) which was terribly painful. In just a few minutes, I could feel the catch vanishing, without the help of any tablet or balm.

Looking at the faces of the hundreds of people, whom I had treated thus far with Acupressure, I had never been able to visualise the relief they felt. On that day, I realised it was His intention to get me to feel what acupressure relief really was like.

From my personal experience with Yoga Therapy and Acupressure Cure, it is possible to be healthy and happy with less medicinal intake in spite of the terrible pollution in the big cities. Yet for infectious diseases, it is a must to resort to medicines and one should never hesitate to seek medical help from professional doctors.

• Experience with Acupressure - as narrated by my colleague at ISRO - Mrs. Malaramani, ISTRAC

I had undergone the Acupressure Course conducted during November 1992, in Rajajinagar, Bangalore and I would like to share my own experience with the readers.

As a matter of fact, I joined the course expecting to find some relief from my chronic headache. I was also bothered by disturbed sleep, knee-pain, leg-pain, back-ache etc. Our doctor had noted that my Blood Pressure was low.

Today, I can happily say that I have been able to get rid of all those problems and I feel more energetic and vibrant in my day-to-day activities, thanks to acupressure. I have not taken any medicine for any ailment after attending the course.

My headache vanished within two months of overall activation of palms and fingers. I used to activate the upper-feet to get good sleep.

I have been able to get rid of my back-ache and leg-pain by activating the spine and leg reflex points. I have been able to normalise my BP, and the difference before and after the course is remarkable, by activating the St-l0 on the throat region (Fig. 39).Under the Course Directors instructions I activated the Knee-reflexes on the ear and my knee-pain vanished. Activating the seventh cervical reflex point on the feet helped me in getting over my shoulder pain.

The most valued of all results, was my success in getting rid of my glasses (spectacles) which I had been wearing because of Head-ache and a small number -0.5 on both the eyes. I used to activate the eye reflex points and the points around the eye socket.

I learnt from experience, that by pressing and releasing the ear lobes and around the ear for three to five minutes before going to bed induces sleep and I get some extra freshness in the morning.

• Ballpoint Pen Pressure cures back-ache

At a residential Meditation Camp that I once attended in December 1993, while I was taking a walk with my brother-in-law, I came across a person in the camp frantically in search of a doctor and some relief from his severe back-ache.

No doctor was around, and I was fresh from an Acupressure Course conducted by Mr. H. Bhojraj and Mr. Reddy. I offered to try acupressure of the ear, with no assurance of cure. The person was desperate and willingly permitted to let me work on his ear.

With a ballpoint pen I activated the ear points corresponding with the back and spine, for about three minutes (Fig.40). This done, I continued my walk and soon the episode was out of my mind.

A pleasant surprise awaited us both at dinner-time. The stranger whom I had treated with Acupressure approached us with a grateful and beaming smile. He told us that his back-ache had left him within minutes of my activating the ear-points and that he was fully relieved. He asked me if my ball-pen had any magic in it.
I told him about acupressure and showed him how the ear could be manipulated to cure back-aches. He thanked me several times for relieving him of the agony, particularly when medical assistance was not available.

I must be thankful for my acupressure training which came to the rescue of a stranger in distress. It is indeed a boon to humanity and no efforts should be spared in trying to spread this system to the nook and corner of our country.