The Yaoyan acupoint is located in the depression 3-4 inches to the left and right of the fourth lumbar vertebra spinous process in the waist of the human body. It is located in the lumbar back fascia, latissimus dorsi muscle, and iliac rib muscle; the shallow layer is mainly distributed with the cutaneous branches of the superior gluteal nerve and the posterior branches of the fourth lumbar nerve. The deep layer is mainly distributed with the muscle branches of the posterior branches of the fourth lumbar nerve and the branches or collateral branches of the fourth lumbar artery and vein.
Stiffness of the body or degeneration of the joints often leads to lower back pain. Nowadays, many young people also suffer from severe lower back pain, mainly due to lack of exercise and long periods of sitting, combined with mental stress and lack of relaxation. By paying attention to massage in daily life, we can effectively prevent lower back pain.
Massage of the Yaoyan acupoint is a good method to prevent and treat lower back pain.
1. Rub your hands together until they are warm, then apply firm pressure to the Yaoyan acupoint, pause for a moment, and then rub down to the coccyx (Changqiang acupoint). Repeat this 50-100 times, and do it once in the morning and evening.
2. Make a loose fist with both hands and use the knuckles or the back of the fist to rotate and massage the Yaoyan acupoint for about 5 minutes.
3. Make a fist with both hands and gently tap the Yaoyan acupoint, or use your hands to knead and grasp the waist for 3-5 minutes.
Massaging the Yaoyan acupoint can not only promote the circulation of the belt vessel and strengthen the lumbar spine, but also improve hearing and vision, nourish the essence and strengthen the kidney, and prolong life. Middle-aged people who often massage the Yaoyan acupoint can maintain a straight lower back in old age and prevent and treat lower back pain caused by wind and cold. Research has shown that massaging the waist can expand the rich capillary network in the local skin, promote blood circulation, accelerate the elimination of metabolic waste, and stimulate nerve endings, which is beneficial for the repair of damaged tissues and improves the endurance of the lumbar muscles. Massaging the Yaoyan acupoint has a good preventive and therapeutic effect on chronic lumbar muscle strain, acute lumbar sprain, lumbar disc herniation, sciatica, and other diseases.
Attachment: Self-massage
In traditional Chinese medicine, the Yaoyan acupoint is located in the "belt vessel" (the meridian that surrounds the waist), which is where the kidneys are located. The kidneys prefer warmth and dislike cold. Massaging the Yaoyan acupoint can warm the kidney yang and promote the smooth flow of Qi and blood. Rubbing the Yaoyan and tailbone not only can dredge the belt vessel and strengthen the lumbar spine but also has the effect of nourishing the essence and strengthening the kidney, and prolonging life [3].
This is especially important for middle-aged men. After middle age, kidney qi tends to be insufficient, but most people rely on dietary supplements to nourish the kidneys and neglect some massage techniques. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the waist is the "residence of the kidneys", and massaging the waist and abdomen can also have the effects of invigorating and nourishing the kidneys.
When massaging, the following methods can be used:
Kneading the waist: Make a fist with both hands and use the knuckles of the thumbs to apply firm pressure to the Yaoyan acupoint, rotating and kneading forcefully for 30-50 times, focusing on the sensation of soreness and swelling in the lower back;
Rubbing the waist: Press the palms of both hands tightly against the waist and rub up and down with force, with fast and powerful movements, until it feels warm;
Point kneading: With the backs of both hands, use the fingertips of the middle fingers to apply pressure and knead on the spinous process of the spine, and use the other fingers to assist in applying pressure on the middle fingers, helping to exert force. The back of the hands should be as close as possible to the spine, and all the acupoints that can be reached by the hands, including the depressions below the spinous process, should be pressed and kneaded one by one, until the area below the Yangguan acupoint (the fifth lumbar spinous process) is reached, repeating this process about 30 times;
Gripping the muscles of the waist: Use the thumbs and index fingers of both hands to grip and massage the sacrococcygeal muscles on both sides of the spine. Grip and release the muscles of the waist from top to bottom, until reaching the sacrum. Repeat this process from top to bottom 4 times;
Shaking the waist muscles: Press the base of both palms against the waist and shake up and down quickly 15-20 times;
Tapping the lumbar and sacral region: Make fists with both hands and use the knuckles to tap the lumbar and sacral region alternately in a rhythmic manner, exerting force from the wrist, with a lighter force, from top to bottom, repeating this process 15-30 times.
Massaging the Yaoyan acupoint in summer can also prevent and treat lower back pain caused by dampness, promoting the expansion of the rich capillary network in the local skin, improving blood circulation, and enhancing the endurance of the lumbar muscles.
