Do you want to reap the innumerable benefits of acupuncture but prefer to avoid inserting needles or visiting an expensive salon? Enter an acupuncture mat, a handy and less intrusive alternative to the ancient Chinese art, which presents a popular in-home remedy for headaches, backache, stress, muscle strain, and other malaise.
Although acupuncture mats have been on the market for a couple of decades, they have spiked in popularity in recent years, especially during the recent lockdowns. In this guide, we’ll explain how to use an acupressure mat, why you should consider buying one, and discuss the main advantages of this miracle home remedy.
Why You Need an Acupuncture Mat?
If you feel stressed and bone-tired after a long, hectic day, acupuncture mats are an inexpensive and easy-to-use tool to combat everyday tiredness. By stimulating pressure points across the legs, hands, and back, the mats help deal with a wide range of common issues, including back pain, neck pain, headache, stress, sore muscles, and trouble with sleep.
The mat will be especially beneficial for people who lead sedentary lifestyles, as hundreds of plastic spikes apply simultaneous pressure across your body and increase blood circulation. The painless pressure of the mat also helps release endorphins, happy-feel hormones that make you feel good and reduce pain.
How an Acupuncture Mat Works: Definition and Key Benefits
At the core of any mat lies acupressure, a form of pressure massage used as complementary therapy across many Oriental and Western spa salons. The acupressure practitioners use their fingers, elbows, and feet to pressure specific regions across the body to promote relaxation and restore health and balance. Acupressure mats allow you to bypass expensive salons and benefit from a relaxing pressure massage anytime and anywhere you want.
Acupressure mats look like yoga mats with hundreds of diamond-shaped plastic nubs that enable simultaneous pressure across the body. Some have additional pillows for your neck. Nubs press into the targeted area and stimulate meridians, pressure points, and acupoints. Whether standing, lying, or sitting on the mat, the therapy-like experience allows tackling a series of health issues, stimulating blood flow, releasing endorphins, and accessing top-tier acupressure treatment from the comfort of your home. Other benefits of handy mats include:
- Relieve foot, neck, and back pain;
- Ease muscle tension;
- Help with stress management;
- Boost energy levels;
- Help combat anxiety and depression.
How to Use an Acupuncture Mat?
Whether you prefer to sit or lie down on your mat, here are a couple of rules to guide you along this simple process. After spreading your mat on the floor or bed, slowly lie down or sit to keep your weight evenly distributed. Try to relax and don’t wiggle to avoid getting scratched. If it’s your first time using the mat, wear a T-shirt or lay a thin sheet as a protective layer. As you get accustomed to the feeling of the plastic spike, you can skip the sheet and remove your shirt, as bare skin contact provides more visible results.
Although acupressure mats are a safe and easy-to-use in-home remedy, people with poor blood circulation, diabetes, thin skin, and open wounds should avoid using them altogether. Pregnant women and patients with heart disease, cancer, or arthritis should consult with their physician before giving acupressure mats a try.
How Long to Use Acupuncture Mat: Optimal Length and Frequency
If you’re only beginning your acupressure journey, start with five-minute sessions. As your resilience increases, you can prolong the session to half an hour, although most acupressure mat companies claim that twenty-minute sessions are the optimal choice. Session length aside, another important parameter is frequency. If you prefer shorter but more frequent sessions, go for it, especially at the beginning. Shorter daily sessions provide a better way to build strength and get used to the acupressure mat.
Remember that the perfect session length depends on the person. Although acupressure is a non-invasive therapy, start with short sessions and progress according to your body’s resilience. If you feel too much discomfort or even pain during the session, it’s time to take a break. As for the maximum length, some people can extend the session to one hour or even fall asleep on the mat. Overall, listen to your body, heed the general safety precautions, and adjust the length and intensity accordingly.
Summary
With acupressure mats spiking in popularity, more and more people add this versatile tool to their in-home gyms and benefit from non-intrusive therapy. Acupressure mats provide fast relief from a wide range of chronic pain conditions, like constant headaches and back pain, and provide a safe pathway toward managing stress and anxiety. Build your resilience, follow the general guidelines, and enjoy the rush of blood and endorphins, reducing pain or muscle strain and making you feel brand new.
