Info Nuggets
Healing touch: Acupressure and acupuncture explained
Sujok or acupressure therapy, applying pressure to the fingers with Sujok Jimmy on isolated backgroud
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From ancient roots to modern recognition
Definition and concept
🔹 Acupressure:
Acupressure is a traditional healing technique based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) where manual pressure is applied to specific points (called acupoints) on the body using fingers, palms, elbows or special tools to stimulate the body’s natural healing processes.
- No needles used
- Can be self-administered
- Focus on restoring energy balance (Qi) and improving circulation
🔹 Acupuncture:
Acupuncture is also a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine, but it involves the insertion of thin needles into the skin at specific acupoints to stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissues.
- Requires trained practitioners
- Often used with herbal therapy, cupping, and moxibustion
- Aims to balance the flow of life energy (Qi) through meridians
Difference between acupressure and acupuncture
Feature | Acupressure | Acupuncture |
Method | Manual pressure using fingers/tools | Needle insertion at acupoints |
Tools used | Hands, fingers, mechanical devices | Sterile needles |
Invasiveness | Non-invasive | Minimally invasive |
Training required | Basic to moderate (can be self-administered) | Professional certification and medical oversight |
Pain/discomfort | Usually none | Minimal, short-term discomfort |
Common uses | Stress, nausea, fatigue, headaches | Chronic pain, migraine, arthritis, fertility |
Significance in public health and India’s AYUSH system
- Both therapies are part of India’s complementary and alternative medicine approach, under the AYUSH Ministry (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy and Sowa-Rigpa).
- Increasingly recognised in integrative medicine, especially for:
- Non-communicable diseases (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, chronic pain)
- Mental health conditions (stress, insomnia)
- Post-operative recovery and palliative care
- Promotes low-cost, low-intervention health strategies — beneficial for rural/remote healthcare delivery.
Scientific backing & WHO endorsement
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized both therapies for certain conditions like:
- Acupuncture: Recommended for over 30 conditions (migraine, osteoarthritis, sciatica, etc.)
- Acupressure: Less evidence, but beneficial in labor pain, nausea, and anxiety management
- Still, there is ongoing debate on efficacy, especially due to the placebo effect in some clinical trials.
Policy and governance relevance
- Included in India’s National Health Policy 2017 under “mainstreaming of AYUSH”
- Promotes medical pluralism and integrative health models
- Supports SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by promoting affordable and preventive care
- Used in schemes like:
- National AYUSH Mission (NAM)
- Wellness Centres under Ayushman Bharat
UPSC-style questions
🔹 Short answer type (150 words)
- What is the difference between acupressure and acupuncture?
- How are acupuncture and acupressure integrated into India’s public healthcare system?
- What are the key challenges in promoting alternative medicine systems like acupuncture?
🔹 Long answer type (250 words)
- Discuss the role of acupuncture and acupressure in achieving the objectives of India’s National Health Policy 2017.
- Compare the efficacy and applicability of acupressure and acupuncture in treating chronic non-communicable diseases.
- Evaluate the significance of WHO’s recognition of acupuncture in the context of India’s AYUSH policy framework.
🔹 Analytical/essay-type (GS Paper IV / GS II)
- “Traditional knowledge systems offer low-cost and culturally acceptable solutions to modern health challenges.” Examine this statement in the light of acupuncture and acupressure.
- How do systems like acupuncture challenge the dominant biomedical paradigm in public healthcare? Discuss with examples.
- Should India allocate more public funds to research in alternative therapies like acupuncture? Justify with ethical and scientific reasoning.
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