Pressure point therapy is a term sometimes used to describe forms of treatment based in traditional Chinese medicine (often abbreviated to TCM). The focus is on certain definite points in the body, usually called acupoints, where it is possible to manipulate the flow of “energy” through the body. Traditional Chinese medicine works upon the basic idea of the existence of meridians in the body, through which energy flows, and pressure points, through which it is possible to control the flow of this energy. The known anatomy of the human body does not support any such ideas, and the theories of traditional Chinese medicine are generally regarded as an example of a protoscience – a school of thought that was developed before the scientific method was developed, and has not been adequately or successfully tested and validated. The scientific method involves various established practices to test the validity of any idea or theory, such as testing under controlled conditions, properly recording and measuring results, and being able to reproduce the results independently. When tested under such conditions, pressure point therapy has for the most part failed to show any positive results. Some studies have been inconclusive, others have shown no efficacy, and the few that have shown positive results did not have reliable standards of testing.
However, neuroimaging studies have shown that stimulation of acupoints does result in increased activity in certain parts of the brain, which may be related to certain organs or physical functions. This of course is not evidence that meridians exist, or that acupoints work in the manner claimed by TCM. The association of a certain pressure point with a certain organ may simply be due to the fact that a particular part of the brain gets stimulated when that pressure point is stimulated. This stimulation will not necessarily affect the organ in question, and there is certainly no evidence of meridians and energy flow.
Some consolidated reviews of the research done on acupuncture and acupressure therapy has indicated that these treatments may be effective as a supplementary treatment for certain conditions, usually involving pain. This may simply mean that pressure point therapy works in the same way a massage does – by soothing and relaxing the body. If this treatment seems to work in other cases, it might simply be due to the placebo effect. It is therefore not advisable to use pressure point therapy for serious conditions. It is better to go by established, tested knowledge of disease, and only use pressure point therapy as an additional measure, if and when it is needed.