At first glance, East Healing’s line of acupressure tools—the foot mat and headband—seem like the kind of wellness accessories that straddle the line between ancient wisdom and modern marketing. Rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), they claim to stimulate energy, boost circulation, relieve stress, and generally make your body a temple of well-aligned Qi. But how much of this is therapeutic benefit, and how much is just cleverly repackaged discomfort?
The Foot Mat: Pleasure or Pain?
The acupressure foot mat promises a spa-like release through a dense bed of spikes that look more like a medieval punishment device than a wellness tool. According to East Healing, standing on the mat for a few minutes a day will reduce stress and improve circulation, by putting pressure on different points on the feet which correspond to various organs and systems in the body. Stimulating these points encourages blood flow, eases tension, and supports overall relaxation.
Using the Gate Control Theory of Pain – which is a legitimate neurological principle, it works on the idea that your brain can only handle so much sensory information at once, so if you’re overwhelmed by the prickling sensation in your feet, you might stop noticing your back pain for a while- which worked for me! More accurately, it’s a form of sensory distraction that may have short-term benefits—much like an ice bath – so if you’re someone who finds masochism oddly soothing, this might just be your new morning ritual!
The Headband: Qi on the Go
The acupressure headband offers a slightly more palatable experience, aiming gentle pressure at points on your temples and the base of your skull. The idea is that by pressing on the right spots, you’ll relieve headaches, improve focus, and maybe reach enlightenment in 15 minutes or less. I tried it out and fell asleep! But I’m not sure if the two are related… I didn’t strictly get the energy boost as promised, but I felt more relaxed than I’d been for a while.
Final Verdict
If you treat East Healing’s acupressure products as relaxation aids – not as miraculous instruments of holistic salvation, you will probably enjoy them at home. They’re well-designed, relatively affordable and satisfyingly easy to use. Functional? Yes. Revolutionary? Not quite, but a great starting point to explore the breadth of Eastern Medicine in more detail.
For more information, check out East Healing here.