A traditional Chinese medical practice, acupressure is a technique based on the belief that stimulation of certain points of the body can bring relief of medical symptoms and their root causes. The practice is similar to acupuncture, making use of meridians (channels along which the body's life energy, or qi, flows) to encourage the body to heal itself without need of drugs or surgery.

Acupressurists will diagnose a patient's problem based on the description of their symptoms and with little in the way of a physical examination aside from checking the patient's pulse.

The patient's condition is, in Chinese medical terms, related to interference in the natural flow of qi (pronounced chi) in a specific area of the body. An acupressurist will attempt to address this interference by applying pressure to specific points along the meridians with the hands, elbows or tools. The points chosen may or may not be focused in the area where the patient's symptoms are located.

Acupressure can be used to relieve a wide selection of ailments and is commonly reported to be successful in aiding those wanting to lose weight or quit smoking. Many pharmacies sell acupressure wristbands designed to alleviate the symptoms of pregnancy nausea or travel sickness, suggesting that there is some mainstream acceptance of acupressure theory.

There is no scientific evidence to show correlations between acupressure and health benefits. However, there is some acknowledgement within the medical community of its benefits, with local GPs and medical specialists often referring patients for acupressure treatment when conventional approaches have proved ineffective.