Dear patients, when you suffer from heartburn and fullness due to gastritis, you often hear diagnoses at the hospital such as "It is acute gastritis" or "It has progressed to chronic gastritis." Gastritis is an inflammation of the gastric mucosa, primarily caused by Helicobacter infection, taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, excessive drinking, smoking, irregular eating habits, and above all, stress. For modern individuals, stress often acts as the most powerful trigger of gastritis. When we undergo stress, the sympathetic nerve becomes hyperactive, reducing blood flow to the stomach, increasing gastric acid secretion, and suppressing the production of the protective mucus layer, which makes the stomach vulnerable to external harm.
How, then, does LI4 acupressure from Donguibogam help with this modern form of gastritis? Remarkably, it can be explained through the scientific concept of the brain-gut axis. LI4 is located in the depression between the thumb and the index finger. Applying pressure here activates mechanoreceptors beneath the skin and muscle. This stimulation travels along nerve fibers through the spinal cord to various brain regions, such as the midbrain periaqueductal gray, hypothalamus, and limbic system. In response to these signals, the brain promotes the secretion of neurotransmitters such as endorphins, which are endogenous opioids, thereby reducing pain. It works much like our body releasing its own analgesic.
Furthermore, stimulating LI4 can exert an important influence on regulating the balance of the autonomic nervous system. When the stomach struggles under excessive sympathetic hyperactivity, LI4 acupressure activates the parasympathetic nerve, helping the stomach shift into a comfortable rest and digest mode. As the parasympathetic nerve is activated, blood flow to the stomach increases, regeneration of the gastric mucosa is promoted, and gastric acid secretion is properly moderated, contributing to calming the inflammatory response in the gastric mucosa. In addition, according to the gate control theory of pain, non-harmful stimulation such as LI4 acupressure can inhibit the transmission of stomach pain signals, thereby reducing pain perception.
Ultimately, LI4 acupressure goes beyond simply pressing a single spot; it is a smart healing practice that positively transforms how the brain and stomach communicate, sending signals of warm comfort and recovery to a stomach exhausted by stress. Isn't it truly amazing and wonderful that our ancestors' wisdom can be explained so clearly through modern science?
