Pressure pays

Healing lies inside the body, external measures are only temporary,'' says Dr Attar Singh, acupressure specialist. He should know -- he...

8220;Healing lies inside the body, external measures are only temporary,8221; says Dr Attar Singh, acupressure specialist. He should know 8212; he8217;s one of the first people in the country who started practising acupressure, way back in the 8217;70s. His interest in it grew over the years, and in 1989, he retired prematurely from his post as deputy director, PRO, Punjab government, to set up the Acupressure Health Centre, which is now in Sector 43, Chandigarh.

Acupressure is based on the principle that each body part or internal organ is connected through nerve pathways to a pressure point on the soles of the feet and the palms. If there is a defect in a certain organ, it can be relieved by stimulating the corresponding pressure point.

Onkar Singh, who practises it at the Ropar Nature Cure Centre, Mohali, likens it to an electric connection, where you press a switch at one end of the room and a tubelight lights up at the other end. Acupressure is one of the alternative treatment systems available at the Nature Cure Centre, which was set up by Dr Rasvinderjeet Singh, MD Alternative Medicine MINPA, AR, who is currently abroad. Set up 1990, the centre is affiliated to the Indian Board of Alternative Medicine, with its headquarters in Calcutta.

All you have to do is to find out which area on the palms corresponds to the particular organ you8217;re having trouble with, and then you can treat yourself by simply pressing the point for some time each day. Many people have done just that by reading his book, Acupressure 8212; Prakritik Upchaar, says Dr Attar Singh. 8220;It8217;s the simplest treatment in the world,8221; he declares.

And Onkar Singh agrees, adding that it has no side-effects, not even if you press the wrong point. But Dr S. S. Batra, MD AM, acupressure specialist and medical astrologist, says self-treatment is possible only in a few cases, after the pressure points have been identified by an expert.

Acupressure also pinpoints the area where a problem exists. And this is how you find out: a person who has a problem will experience an acute pain when the corresponding pressure point is pressed. This is because toxic crystals have accumulated at certain nerve endings and are obstructing normal blood circulation. Stimulating the pressure point will dislodge the crystal and get things back into shape.

Acupressure can cure any problem which is not life-threatening if not treated immediately, says Dr Attar Singh. Among the wide range of complaints acupressure can get rid of are asthma, polio, headaches, vertigo, myopia, constipation, bed-wetting, epilepsy, depression, hernia and paralysis, says the form in his clinic. The experts agree that it is most effective for cervical spondylitis, slipped discs, and back pain in general. They say they have successfully treated people with blocked arteries and kidney problems too.

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The length of treatment depends upon the problem a patient has, but some amount of relief is felt as soon as acupressure is started. For some, a single sitting is enough, for others it may take a fortnight or more. The Nature Cure Centre treats patients for about a month, with an hour8217;s session each day, for Rs 50 a sitting. Dr Batra8217;s treatment usually extends to half-hour sessions for 21 days. His usual rate is Rs 50 per sitting, but that varies according to the problem. And the Acupressure Health Centre charges Rs 40 for half an hour8217;s treatment, which usually extends over 10 to 15 days.