East Meets West: Erectile Dysfunction & Acupressure
According to modern medicine, the causes of male erectile dysfunction (ED) may either be physical or psychological.
Typically, the cause varies by age group; psychological or primary organ disorders (including congenital) are displayed by male patients between adolescence and the 30s age group, while older patients in their 60s tend to primarily experience psychological issues (i.e. relationship-related).
Orgasm Explained
Although an erection is primarily controlled by the 'sympathetic nervous system', it also requires the cooperation of the 'parasympathetic (autonomic) nervous system'.
What are their differences? The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for the “fight or flight” response during any potential danger. On the other hand, the parasympathetic nervous system restores the body to a “rest and digest” state.
Orgasm is a unique process where these two normally "opposite" systems are activated together.
Autonomic Nervous System Disorder & TCM
Psychological causes can show up due to an ‘Autonomic Nervous System' (ANS) disorder. Symptoms typical to an ANS disorder can be easy sweating, nervousness, (heart) palpitations, temperature imbalance and insomnia.
The ANS system is related to the meridien system in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) - vital life energy (Qi) flows through different pathways across the body. These meridien channels are represented by key acupoints spread across the human body, fulfilling various functions from respiratory to reproductory to immunity maintenance.
Acupressure Massage Treatment
Acupressure is a non-invasive, non-ingestive way of TCM treatment where treatment is applied by a practitioner by applying pressure (usually using fingers or parts of the hand) on the patient's acupoints to restore vital energy flow which might be otherwise blocked, stagnant or weakened due to various reasons.
Just to be clear, acupressure works differently from acupuncture and shouldn't be confused as the other. Safety Announcement: Never stick acupuncture needles to your crown jewels, ever.
For treatment of ED, various acupoints on several meridien channels might be explored based on symptoms presented. For example: the pericardium (chest/heart region), the gallbladder and triple energizer, and the liver channels.
It is recommended to perform acupressure at least twice a week, each time approximately 15-20 minutes for 8 weeks to obtain optimal benefit.
