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Bill Klaproth: So, what is acupressure? What is it used for and how can acupressure benefit those who wear masks all day? Especially our healthcare providers. Let's find out with Dr. Colleen Curran, a Licensed Doctor of Acupuncture at the Kaufman Cancer Center, a part of UM UCH. This is the Healthy Hero Podcast from UM Upper Chesapeake Health, I'm Bill Klaproth. Colleen, thank you so much for your time. It is great to talk with you. So what is the physical and or mental impact of wearing a mask all day?

Dr. Curran: Thank you for having me. In regards to wearing a mask continuously, let's just think of physically wearing a mask. I like to regard this in relevancy to our senses. Speaking as being hindered, the simple act of breathing is being restricted to a degree. It's interesting to think. How has wearing a mask brought you into any awareness and to how you may not be breathing deeply, or you have shallow breathing? Are you experiencing congestion, headaches, eye fatigue, or redness from that warm air being pushed into your eyes? Is it giving you blurry vision? And many of you may be familiar with how having one or more senses is restricted or absent. The others are able to flourish and also on an emotional level, we aren't actually able to be identified as before. When the phrase speak to me with your eyes, are we able to communicate with each other through looking into each other's eyes? Or are there other cues that we can look at? Body language, the sound of someone's voice. So that kind of may hinder our connection with each other until we can start to get used to it and find other ways to communicate. I think it's important that we know that we can adapt and we can tap into these cues. And if we're feeling a certain way about not being able to communicate as we would like through the mask, we can use our other senses. We can adapt. It's possible.

Host: Yeah, you're right about that. There certainly are definite physical impacts of having to wear the mask and mental, as you said, it's not all physical. You can't see people smile. You can't see facial expressions. So there is a mental component to this as well. So let's help some people out. What is acupressure and how does that benefit people?

Dr. Curran: So, acupressure has many origins. It's thousands of years old. There are many different methods, theories. It's basically applying pressure to specific acupoints on the body to elicit a specific response. You can use human touch, round ended tools such as made of stone or wood. I personally use Accuseeds, which are little Aria seeds from the flower and they're placed on adhesives. And so when placed on the body, they provide continuous pressure. So it's basically the foundations of acupuncture just without the needles. So it's completely noninvasive.

Host: Wow. Really interesting. So is this something people can do on their own pretty easily? Is there any kind of preparation somebody needs to do this?

Dr. Curran: Actually, no. Acupressure is something that you can do at any time. As far as with the mask wearing, I'm going to take you through maybe a short protocol or give you some ideas for what you can do, but this is something that you can do before you wear the mask. But especially after wearing the mask for an extended period of time. So it's very easily accessible. Like I said, you can find any kind of round ended tool to push on it. You can just use your fingers. I mean, if you have access to Accu seeds, you can use them as well.

Host: Okay. We're all very intrigued how to relieve stress or pressure from mask wearing. Can you give us some tips? What do we need to do?

Dr. Curran: So, there are specific points. I've actually designed an aftermask protocol. So if anyone's interested in that, we can talk about that after, but basically think about where the mask lays on the face. So they're actually channels energetic channels that coincide with the nerves, the nerve channels and the face, and actually they're channels that go around the ears as well. So this is all just very interesting to me. So basically all you do is you think about where your mask is being placed for an extended period of time. What I like to do is after wearing a mask after a couple of hours, I will just start at the nostrils and just press on either side of each nostril. I might do the right side first and then the left side. It really doesn't matter. You can use both hands at the same time if you'd like, and just apply pressure with your fingertip or your tool for a few seconds, moving underneath to the center, underneath the eye, the center of the eye, just holding there for a few seconds.

So, we're moving across where the mask would be on the face. And then we're going over in front of the ear, wherever you might be feeling some pressure holding for a few seconds. You can actually move your finger around if you'd like, or your talk in a circular motion. And then you're going to go underneath the ear right behind the ear lobe. That can be a little sensitive for people. So just be aware of that. You don't want to push too hard and then just holding for a few seconds and then going around the ear in the hairline, just circling the ear. And then you're ending up right in front of the ear again and doing this.

Host: Wow that feels good. Feels Great. Wow.

Dr. Curran: Doesn't it? So just doing this for a few minutes, whatever works for you after the day, you will see results. If you're having that congestion, if your eyes are fatigued, there are excellent acupressure points, all along those channels where we were just touching and applying pressure that will help with all of those physical manifestations. And they have the emotional associations as well.

Host: I love this. And just so you know, nerve channel, that was the name of the first band I was in.

Dr. Curran: Are you kidding?

Host: Kidding. See, so maybe somebody will take that name now and they're going to credit you, Dr. Curran. I was listening to a podcast and Dr. Curran said nerve channel. I knew that was the name of my next band. So see how you're helping people in more ways than, you know. So how often would you suggest that people try acupressure?

Dr. Curran: You can do it every day, multiple times throughout the day. Whenever you feel like you need to, this is a self-administered treatment. This is self-care. So whenever you feel like you just need to stop, and if you can go in a room or an area where you may be able to take off the mask, or just be able to take a deep breath at the end of the day, whatever works for you, just do it, just take the few minutes or the time that you have on a break and just administer the self-care

Host: And this acupressure, this can work on all areas of your body, right? I would imagine if your feet are tired or your legs are tired, my back hurts the lower back. I imagine acupressure can help all areas of the body. Is that right?

Dr. Curran: Exactly. Yes. Anywhere. If your feet are tired, just go to where the pressure or the pain is, now without getting too scientific. I'll just say real quick, there is a gate control theory method. This is the basis of acupressure. So think of when you hit your funny bone, let's say, okay, so what is maybe the first instinctual thing that you would do?

Host: So, you grab your arm and you wince and you go, Oh, dang, just hit my funny bone. And then you rub it with your other arm.

Dr. Curran: There you go. That's acupressure.

Host: So that continuous pressure, that's acupressure. And I can tell you where I did the exercise for the mask wearers. I can still feel it, I don't exactly know how to describe it as not necessarily tingling. It just feels more energized if you will. But I can tell where I was rubbing my face.

Dr. Curran: So, acupressure stimulates blood flow through touch. The body's like, oh, what's going on here? Let's pay attention to this. Neurotransmitters are being enacted, but it's important to drink water. If you feel like things are moving, you want to help that kind of move along. The blood is being stimulated. The channels, the nerves are being stimulated. It's interesting that you say that's something that you should be feeling and, I think that was just like a 30 second. If that protocol that we went through.

Host: Your nerve endings are energized. That's kind of what I'm feeling. Blood flow is increased. I was kind of rubbing around a little bit too, as you were telling me to trace around. So, wow. That's really interesting.

Dr. Curran: And also paying attention to your body, knowing like, oh, that's a really sensitive spot. Maybe I should stay here just for a little bit gently. Just hold, take a couple deep breaths and just knowing your body and self-treating the best you can.

Host: Fantastic. This has really been informative and useful. We'll all be doing this now and we have you to thank for it. So thank you, Dr. Curran. We appreciate it.

Dr. Curran: Yeah. Thank you.

Host: That's Dr. Colleen Curran, and for more information, please visit UMUCH.org/hero. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is the Healthy Hero Podcast from UM Upper Chesapeake Health. Thanks for listening.