Acupressure: Relief That Didn’t Reach the Root

If you've ever told yourself “at least it relieves the pain,” this story might feel uncomfortably familiar.

In the following lines, I want to share my experience with acupressure — a method I used for many years while living with chronic neck pain. This period spanned my early adulthood, through university and my first jobs. At that point, the pain had already been with me for almost a decade.

I found a specialist who worked in a sports center and had experience with athletes, including modern gymnasts (which resonated with me, as I had practiced it as a child).

Acupressure is a traditional Chinese method of healing that uses pressure on specific points in the body to relieve pain and support recovery. It’s done by pressing, rubbing, or massaging these points using hands, fingers, or special tools. But in my case, the holistic focus that this therapy ideally offers was not part of the process.

A Cycle of Pain and Relief

The worst pain usually came in the mornings. I often woke up unable to turn my head, and in extreme cases, my neck would lock completely. The pain was intense. I lived with daily discomfort in my neck for years.

For a long time, I believed acupressure was truly helping. I went for a session when the pain became too strong, and it did provide quick relief from acute discomfort. The sessions were minimal in conversation. Most of the interaction happened when I was already lying face-down on the massage chair. The therapist knew I had trained in modern gymnastics and once surprised me by noticing I was anemic. That level of observation felt like a breakthrough at the time — something I hadn’t experienced before.

The strong finger pressure applied to the most painful points, and their surroundings, typically for about half an hour, brought instant relief. I often left the session sore, but the sharp pain was usually gone. Then it returned within a week. So I kept going back.

Discomforts That Went Unspoken

One experience, which I believe may be unique to highly sensitive people, was