Can you shut down organs and other things by hitting pressure points?

== == I'm not sure you can actually shut most of them down, but you can certainly cause damage. There are several pressure points that coincide with major organs.

A sharp blow to the heart can literally stop the heart.

A blow to the kidney points can cause permanent damage to the internal function of the kidneys.

Strikes to the major blood vessels that feed the brain can cause unconsciousness. That can also cause permanent brain damage.

Answer While not exactly shutting them down, organs can be affected by attacks to certain pressure points. Attacking pressure points is essentially attacking the central and/or peripheral nervous system. All pressure points lie directly on or in close proximity to major branches of nerves. These branches all connect to the spinal column at certain levels. Additionally, some branches innervate the major organs. Attacking the points can affect an organ by causing a number of reflexive changes known as somatovisceral reflexes. In short, the organs can be attacked/damaged by one or a combination of three methods.

All nerves attach to the spinal column. Some nerves converge at the same level of the spine. In other Words, they connect at the same level of the spinal column. Attacking simultaneously multiple points (nerves) that converge at or affect the same section of the spinal cord will amplify the signals to the brain, causing the brain to perceive much greater pain or damage to be coming from all nerves at that level. In neurology, this is known as summation.

The second method is called facilitation. This term describes the sensitization of the spinal cord at a specific level. By striking a nerve connected at that level, a barrage of pain signals will rush to the spinal column, causing other nerves that connect to that same level of the spinal column to become hyper responsive.

The third neurological affect is called aberrant reference. This term is used by doctors to explain why sometimes simultaneous pain experienced at two or more areas of the body will cause the pain to be displaced to somewhere in the middle.

As mentioned previously, all nerves connect to the spinal cord at varying levels. Some of these levels have branches of nerves that innervate the internal organs. By attacking certain points using one or a combination of the three points above you can cause an affect in an internal organ. The type and severity of the attack are to be considered, but you can cause reactions such as:

* the brain may think an organ is damaged and try to mitigate the damage or eliminate the pain in that organ

by slowing its function

* the brain may instruct the heart to beat faster/harder or slower to increase or decrease blood flow to the

organ, thereby causing damage by trying to fix a problem that doesn't really exist

* depending upon the organ and severity of perceived pain or damage emanating from it, the brain may shut

down (passing out) to 'reboot'

In essence, you are tricking the brain into thinking there is damage or pain in a particular organ and it will react to correct it.

Of course, there are also pressure points that lie directly on organ, and will cause neurological as well as direct physiological damage to that organ.

All three of the neurological concepts mentioned above are much more complex than described here, but suffice to say they are important if you want an accurate understanding of how pressure points work. Attention!While the information provided supplies information of medical supposition, it is strongly noted that the information contained herein is learned through practical martial arts training. Unless you have been properly trained in any disciplined of martial arts, this information should not be used, and then only in extreme situations where life and limb are threatened. The use of "pressure points' and the information describe here, as well as the damage that could result from such use, could subject you to civil and criminal charges. Do not try this at home!