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There are 4 modules in this course
Discover how you can use acupressure to support symptom relief and wellbeing. In this course, you will learn how acupressure, which is a time-honored healing technique rooted in East Asian Medicine, can become a practical, effective tool in your clinical practice and self-care strategies. Acupressure Essentials is a self-paced, experiential course designed to teach basic principles and applications for symptom management including pressure points for pain, headaches, gastrointestinal disturbances, and wellbeing. By the end of the course, you will be able to demonstrate acupoint protocols, demonstrate an acupressure treatment session, and determine a plan of action for incorporating acupressure into your professional practice and self-care routines.
Continuing Education Credits
This course has been designed to meet Minnesota Board of Nursing continuing education requirements for 15 contact hours and may be eligible for CE credit from other professional boards that allow self-documenting of continuing education activities. It is your responsibility to check with your regulatory board to confirm this course meets your local requirements and, if necessary, to provide them with the certificate of completion you get if you pay for and fulfill all the requirements of this course.
The first module is Clinical Acupressure Fundamentals. Our goal is to establish a context you can use to incorporate acupressure into clinical patient care. We’ll review basic concepts of East Asian Medicine (EAM), discuss the mechanism of action for acupressure and the state of the research evidence base for acupoint therapies, and start exploring strategies for adding acupressure to your professional practice. You’ll also get a chance to begin practicing some basic acupressure techniques.
Acupuncture & Acupressure Mechanism of Action•7 minutes
Research Challenges & Opportunities•12 minutes
Overview of the Evidence Base•5 minutes
Role & Scope Considerations•4 minutes
Integrating Acupressure into Your Professional Practice•5 minutes
Consent & Trauma-Informed Care•4 minutes
Basic Acupressure Techniques•2 minutes
Guided Acupressure Practice•7 minutes
Performing Acupressure on Others•4 minutes
Acupressure Tools & Terminology•7 minutes
Considerations for Special Populations•4 minutes
Children & Neonatal•8 minutes
Women’s Health•3 minutes
Geriatric•2 minutes
Stroke•3 minutes
Burns•2 minutes
Rashes & Wounds•5 minutes
Chemotherapy•3 minutes
Surgical•1 minute
9 readings•Total 90 minutes
Get Ready for Week 1•10 minutes
What is Acupressure?•10 minutes
Core Tenets of East Asian Medicine•10 minutes
National Stance on Licensure for Acupuncturists•10 minutes
Wagner, J. (2015). CE: Incorporating acupressure into nursing practice•10 minutes
Acupressure in Practice•10 minutes
Acupressure Tips & Reminders•10 minutes
Considerations for Special Populations•10 minutes
Week 1 Summary•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 60 minutes
Week 1 Quiz•30 minutes
Compare Acupressure Studies•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
Introduce yourself and share what brings you here!•10 minutes
Acupressure for Pain
Module 2•3 hours to complete
Module details
This week, we are focusing on acupressure for pain. You’ll learn acupoints and protocols for managing headache, jaw, sinus, neck, shoulder, back, and abdominal pain. Illustrated guides and tutorial videos will give you step-by-step instructions that you can follow at your own pace. Use your judgment to identify the most relevant pieces for your patients and apply them to the life that you're already living and in the practice that you already have.
Low Back & Sacral Pain Acupressure Points•10 minutes
Abdominal Pain Acupressure Points•10 minutes
4 readings•Total 40 minutes
Get Ready for Week 2•10 minutes
Acupressure for Pain Research Guide•10 minutes
Pain Acupoint & Protocol Guide•10 minutes
Week 2 Summary•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Week 2 Quiz•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
Pain Literature Review•10 minutes
Acupressure for Gastrointestinal Disturbances & Acupressure for Wellbeing
Module 3•4 hours to complete
Module details
In this module our hands-on exploration of acupressure continues. We’ll shift our focus to acupoints and protocols for gastrointestinal disturbances (constipation, diarrhea, and nausea/dyspepsia) and wellbeing (anxiety, depressed mood, insomnia, and fatigue). In addition to the protocols you are learning, targeted massage is another way to introduce acupressure into your practice. Megan demonstrates a few clinical scenarios where she uses massage to stimulate multiple relaxation-promoting acupoints on a patient in the space of 5-15 minutes.
Acupressure for Wellbeing Research Guide•10 minutes
Wellbeing Acupoint & Protocol Guide•10 minutes
Week 3 Summary•10 minutes
Peer Review Project Instructions•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 60 minutes
Week 3 Quiz•30 minutes
Peer Review Project Prep•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
Apply Acupressure to Your Professional Practice•60 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
Gastrointestinal & Wellbeing Literature Review•10 minutes
Bringing Acupressure into Your Professional Practice
Module 4•3 hours to complete
Module details
Your goal this week is to create a plan of action for incorporating acupressure into your professional practice and self-care routines. Guided activities will help you identify your next steps. You’ll also hear a variety of clinicians speak about their successes and challenges in using acupressure with patients.
The University of Minnesota is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation’s most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.
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Reviewed on Apr 27, 2023
This course was delivered very well however the audio of the videos could be better and the subtitles aren't very accurate.
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Reviewed on Jun 15, 2023
It was a very valuable course and I am very grateful to you. I learned very practical lessons that I can use in my work and I know that I will get the best results.
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5·
Reviewed on Jun 14, 2022
Great information and I can't wait to use it in my practice as an integrative nurse!
Will the course cover acupuncture, acupressure, and massage? What are the differences?
Acupuncture and acupressure utilize the same system of points developed in East Asian Medicine. Only licensed acupuncturists can perform acupuncture, however, in this course, you’ll learn how to stimulate the same therapeutic points utilized by acupuncturists without the use of needles or other devices that require specialized training. Acupressure is a safe and effective alternative to acupuncture that can be used as part of a self-care routine. Some massage techniques that are designed to be simple yet intentional in stimulating multiple acupressure points will be demonstrated to maximize the therapeutic benefit of acupressure.
Which symptoms will I learn pressure points for?
This course will demonstrate pressure point protocols for common types of pain including managing headache, jaw, sinus, neck, shoulder, back, and abdominal pain. The course will also explore protocols for managing gastrointestinal disturbances (constipation, diarrhea, and nausea/dyspepsia) and wellbeing (anxiety, depressed mood, insomnia, and fatigue) .
Will the course include acupressure points charts to enhance my learning?
Yes, the course includes expertly illustrated images that clearly demonstrate how to locate acupressure points. The course also includes engaging videos that will show you how to locate each point even if you have very little knowledge of human anatomy.
Can I get continuing education (CE) credit for this course?
This course has been designed to meet Minnesota Board of Nursing continuing education (CE) requirements for 15 contact hours and may be eligible for CE credit from other professional boards that allow self-documenting of continuing education activities. It is your responsibility to check with your regulatory board to confirm this course meets your local requirements and, if necessary, to provide them with the certificate of completion you get if you pay for and fulfill all the requirements of this course.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.