What is Hormesis and Eustress in Acupressure?
Learn about Hormesis and Eustress.
Martin Lima
Contributor
What the terms mean
Hormesis is a biphasic, “inverted-U” dose–response: a low, brief stressor provokes adaptive benefits, whereas too much causes harm. This pattern has been documented across biology and medicine and argued to be common—not exceptional.
Eustress (Selye’s term for “good stress”) is a stressor appraised as challenging but manageable; it can enhance motivation and physiological functioning, in contrast to distress. Modern reviews trace the concept to Selye’s work and subsequent stress theory.
Why this matters for acupressure
Acupressure is a brief, controllable mechanical stimulus—exactly the kind of low-dose stress that can land in the hormetic/eustress zone:
Mechanotransduction & circulation. Mechanical stimulation at acupoints (well-documented in acupuncture literature) triggers connective-tissue signaling and transient nitric-oxide–mediated microcirculatory changes—effects plausibly engaged by pressure as well as needling. FASEB JournalPubMed
Autonomic balance. Controlled acupressure—especially auricular—has been shown to shift heart-rate variability toward parasympathetic (vagal) dominance in experimental settings. FrontiersPMC
Endogenous pain control. A short, tolerable stimulus can recruit descending inhibitory pathways (conditioned pain modulation), part of why pressure can relieve pain in some contexts. PMC+1
Together, these map neatly onto hormesis (benefit at the right “dose”) and eustress (challenge that feels safe and controllable).
What the clinical evidence shows (for outcomes you care about)
While many trials don’t use the words “hormesis” or “eustress,” results make sense through that lens:
Nausea & vomiting: Robust syntheses show that stimulating the wrist point—via acupressure bands, or manual pressure—reduces postoperative nausea (and often vomiting) versus sham; effects are comparable to some antiemetics in pooled analyses. Cochrane LibraryPubMed
Pain & anxiety: Prospective work in emergency patients found clinically meaningful reductions in self-rated pain and anxiety after a brief acupressure protocol. PMC
Menstrual pain: Meta-analyses of randomized trials (including auricular acupressure) report benefit for dysmenorrhea, though study quality varies. PMC
Autonomic effects: Experimental studies demonstrate HRV changes with auricular acupressure, consistent with a shift toward “rest-and-digest.” FrontiersPMC
These patterns fit a “sweet-spot stimulus” model: enough pressure and duration to provoke adaptation and relief, not so much that it aggravates tissues or triggers distress.
Practical dosing—operationalizing the hormetic/eustress “sweet spot”
Pressure: moderate, steady—intense but not sharp.
Time: ~30–90 seconds per point; 1–3 repetitions.
Frequency: up to 1–2×/day on the same area; rest if soreness lingers.
Self-monitoring: benefits should follow the session (looser, warmer, calmer). If symptoms spike hours later, back off dose. These heuristics align the intervention with hormesis (benefit at low–moderate dose) and eustress (challenge that feels controllable). (Concept from hormesis/eustress; dosing guidance extrapolated to acupressure.)
Quick cautions
Avoid active infection, open wounds, acute injuries, or unexplained swelling.
Be cautious with anticoagulants, neuropathy, or fragile skin; in pregnancy avoid known contraindicated points.
If symptoms persist or worsen, see a qualified clinician.
Conclusion
Hormesis explains why the right amount of pressure can help (low-dose stimulus → adaptive response). Eustress describes how it should feel (a tolerable, chosen challenge that leaves you better afterward). Current acupressure evidence—reduced postoperative nausea, decreases in pain/anxiety, and vagal-leaning HRV shifts—fits that picture when dosing stays in the sweet spot.
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