Foremost among the advantages of acupressure's healing touch is that it is safe to do on yourself and others - even if you've never done it before - so long as you follow the instructions and pay attention to the cautions. There are no side effects from drugs, because there are no drugs. And the only equipment needed are your own two hands. You can practice acupressure therapy any time, anywhere.

By learning how to stimulate your own pressure points, you can relieve minor or moderate symptoms, and reduce the need for nonprescription drugs. Unlike most drugs, relief is usually immediate.

Do not use acupressure to replace standard emergency procedures or licensed medical treatment. If you are seriously injured or have persistent symptoms seek urgent medical treatment
Acupressure should not be used:

• As the only treatment for illness; if you are sick, see a doctor
• If you have a heart condition
• Just before or within 20 minutes after heavy exercise, a large meal, or bathing
• If the point in question is under a mole, wart, varicose vein, abrasion, bruise, cut, or any other break in the skin
• If you are pregnant, especially if more than 3 months

For these symptoms, only use acupressure to supplement professional medical care, or when no professional medical care is available. Only try acupressure for these symptoms after seeking professional care and after using standard first aid and emergency techniques.

How Does It Work?
The concepts of internal and external environment are very important to the philosophy of traditional Asian medicine. The human body, it is believed, encloses a perpetual flow of bioenergy, or life-force, called "chi, "ki" or "qi". This energy flows into the body and along specific pathways called "meridians", influencing the functioning of all the organs. In healthy individuals, this flow maintains a constant balance with both itself and the external environment. When external or internal events occur which disturb this balance, disease ensues. Along the meridians are a large number of pressure points that act as "valves" for the flow of chi. The stimulation of these points, when properly performed, acts to restore balance to the internal environment, thereby relieving symptoms.

How to Do It
Press for around 1 to 5 minutes on any points you are treating and give an equal time to the same point on each side of the body, as in fact you may experience discomfort on one side when the problem is actually on the other side. (DM20 is the only exception here as it is the only point I've listed in the centre of the body). Use moderate pressure - you're not trying to drill a hole in yourself but equally just resting a finger on an acupoint won't have any noticable effect. You can use fingertips, knuckles, or thumbs to press as some points are going to be easier than others. For example I bend my middle finger and use the knuckle to press on S36, but use only light fingertip pressure on Taiyang. A useful tip for doing K1 is to grip your left foot with your left hand, the left thumb pressing on the accupoint, and then use your right hand to turn the ball of the foot 10 times clockwise then anti-clockwise - then do the same on the other side.
Acupuncture channels and meridians
In TCM the body energy circulates through 14 meridians, (at the surface), and 8 channels, (under the surface). There are also some extra acupoints, such as Taiyang, that don't belong to either of these. The energy circulation begins with the lung channel and passes through the twelve meridians which are related to the bodies major organs. The prefixes here indicate which channel the points belong to. K = Kidney, SP = Spleen, L = Lung, H = Heart, B = Bladder, G = Gall Bladder, PE = Pericardium, LI = Large Intestine. TW stands for Triple Warmer, a kind of 'virtual organ' in Chinese medicine, and DM is the Du Mai which runs along the spine and connects with the Ren Mai which runs along the front, centre of the body.

Measuring to acupoints
Body inches, kun, are a useful way to find acupoints. This is a quite accurate method of measurement as it is in proportion to the size of the person. The width of your thumb at the knuckle is one kun, the width of the other four fingers measures three kun.