Acupuncture for ADHD - Are Shiatsu Or Moxibustion Effective?

Shiatsu is a healing system that originated in China and is one of the oldest healing systems known to man. Although shiatsu was educated only in specialized clinics in Japan before 1940, there is a very limited amount of information for the recovery system. This has caused many writers replacing shiatsu along with other alternative therapy to apply on the topic. 1 such author has created a wealth of information I have found to be quite valuable in learning about the healing of the human body and mind.

Shiatsu is considered to have been derived from acupuncture that originated hundreds or thousands of years ago. In ancient Chinese medicine, acupressure was used to treat all kinds of ailments including illness and pain. Acupressure applied to the body through the palms of their hands or feet, was thought to have beneficial effects on the brain and the body. It had been used to treat many ailments such as fevers, indigestion, urinary problems, headaches, insomnia, bad breath and much more. It's believed to have been developed as an alternative to western medicine when the mainstream methods were believed to be ineffective.

The most commonly referred to the difference between Chinese and Western medicine is the location of application of acupressure physically. The location referred to is the Shiatsu point or meridian. Western medicine uses the five meridians, while Chinese medicine applies the five Shiatsu points. These are located in the wrist, hands, legs, shoulders, elbows, hips and pelvis. Applying acupressure in the appropriate place or direction will provide beneficial outcomes.

Another of the substantial differences between these two healing styles is in the form of the pressure or direction of application of acupressure and massage. Western medicine uses light, upward pressure on the pressure points. Chinese medicine, on the other hand, places greater emphasis on using downward pressure along the meridians of someone's body. These differences are thought to result in the following differences in the effectiveness of the treatments. Traditional Chinese medicine will treat a problem by identifying the problem with one of the five traditional body parts and then working to correct the condition or treating the imbalance.


Among the differences between the two is found in the efficiency of using acupressure to treat a particular illness or to reach a state of well-being. In Chinese medicine, illness or disorder is treated holistically. The treatment includes physical, mental and psychological aspects. When the meridians are unbalanced, the result is the improper function of the organs. This causes the body to suffer from ill effects like weak digestion, lack of energy, lack of mental clarity, lack of sleep and so forth. While Western medicine works to treat a particular ailment or to achieve an improvement in the patient's condition, acupuncture works by addressing the whole person's whole being.

Therefore, so as to understand whether acupuncture is successful or not, it's crucial to conduct systematic reviews and to compare the different studies that have been done. A good reference includes acupressure studies which were done on adults and children. However, when looking at the systematic reviews of acupuncture, it's necessary to look at whether the research looked at adults or children. For children, it's important to find references contained in meta-analyses and reviews on acupuncture for ADHD.

Needless to say, other kinds of acupressure are very popular. So as to understand whether these techniques are successful, it's important to compare one manual to another. For example, Western medicine tends to appear only in Western techniques and therefore may not include techniques like Reiki. It is important to research all available techniques so as to make the best decision.

There are two chief differences between Shiatsu and Moxibustion. The first difference denotes the location of application of this technique. Shiatsu can be applied anywhere on the body while Moxibustion can only be performed on specific parts. Additionally, Moxibustion employs a much higher level of manual pressure than does Shiatsu. Needless to say, the level of pressure used can be corrected with respect to the requirements of the patient.