Acupressure points help relieve headaches
Here’s a self-treatment guide to some acupressure points that may help relieve headaches. Remember to consult a healthcare professional for persistent or severe headaches.
General Tips for Self-Administering Acupressure:
- Find a comfortable and quiet place to relax.
- Use firm but gentle pressure with your thumb, index, or middle finger. You can also use the rounded end of a pen or a massage tool.
- Massage each point for about 1-2 minutes using circular or up-and-down motions.
- Breathe deeply and relax while applying pressure.
- If you feel pain, reduce the pressure. You might feel some tenderness, but it shouldn’t be overly painful.
- You can repeat the massage on these points several times a day as needed.
- Avoid applying pressure to open wounds, bruises, varicose veins, or areas of swelling or inflammation.
- If you are pregnant, consult your doctor before using acupressure, as some points can induce labor.
Key Acupressure Points for Headaches:
- Union Valley (LI4 or Hegu):
- Location: On the back of your hand, in the fleshy web between your thumb and index finger.
- How to Apply Pressure: Use the thumb of your opposite hand to apply firm pressure to this point. You can pinch and massage the area in small circles for 1-2 minutes. Repeat on the other hand.
- Benefits: This point is commonly used for general body aches, headaches (especially tension headaches), facial pain, and neck pain.
- Caution: Do not use this point during pregnancy as it may induce labor.
- Drilling Bamboo (BL2 or Zanzhu):
- Location: In the indentations on either side of the bridge of your nose, just below the inner ends of your eyebrows.
- How to Apply Pressure: Use both index fingers to apply firm pressure to both points simultaneously for about 10 seconds. Release and repeat.
- Benefits: May help relieve headaches caused by eye strain and sinus pressure or pain.
- Gates of Consciousness (GB20 or Feng Chi):
- Location: At the base of the skull, in the hollow areas on either side of the spine, where the neck muscles attach to the skull. You can usually find them about one finger-width outward from the midline of your neck.
- How to Apply Pressure: Place your index and middle fingers of both hands on these points and press firmly upward for about 10 seconds. Release and repeat. Alternatively, interlock your fingers behind your head and use your thumbs to press into these hollows.
- Benefits: May help relieve headaches, neck stiffness and pain, and shoulder pain.
- Third Eye (Yintang or GV24.5):
- Location: In the center of your forehead, between your eyebrows.
- How to Apply Pressure: Use the index finger of one hand to apply firm, steady pressure to this point for about 1 minute.
- Benefits: Thought to relieve headaches caused by eyestrain and sinus pressure, and may also help with stress and anxiety.
- Shoulder Well (GB21 or Jian Jing):
- Location: On the top of your shoulder, midway between the base of your neck and the outer tip of your shoulder.
- How to Apply Pressure: Use the thumb of one hand to apply firm, circular pressure to this point for about 1 minute. Repeat on the other side.
- Benefits: May help relieve stiffness in the neck and shoulders, which can alleviate tension headaches.
- Caution: This point can be quite strong and should be used with caution, especially during pregnancy.
- Taiyang (Temples or M-HN-9):
- Location: In the tender depressions on your temples, about one inch outward from the end of your eyebrows.
- How to Apply Pressure: Use your index or middle fingers to gently massage these points in small circular motions, moving from the front to the back, for about 1-2 minutes.
- Benefits: May help relieve temporal headaches, eye pain, and facial pain.
Remember that acupressure is a complementary therapy and may not work for everyone. If your headaches are severe, frequent, or accompanied by other symptoms, it’s important to seek advice from a healthcare professional to determine the underlying cause and receive appropriate treatment.1
