With today’s fast paced lifestyle and work environment, more and more people are developing tension headaches. Being on a computer for long hours at a time, sitting in meetings, driving in heavy traffic to your appointments or meeting with clients, driving noisy children to their activities, holding a phone up to your ear, etc. can all lead to debilitating pain, pressure and aches in your head, neck, body, and more.
Are you looking for a more natural way to relieve your headaches in between your massage appointments instead of pain medicine that can potentially give you other negative side effects? Consider acupressure and pressure points.
Acupressure
According to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, “Acupressure is an ancient healing art that’s based on the traditional Chinese medicine practice of acupuncture. With acupressure, pressure is applied to specific places on your body. These places are called acupoints. Pressing these points can help release muscle tension and promote blood circulation. It can also relieve many common side effects of chemotherapy”.
Healthline states that “Pressure points are parts of the body believed to be extra sensitive, able to stimulate relief in the body. Practitioners of reflexology, a discipline of Chinese medicine, believe that touching pressure points in a certain way can:
- improve your health
- ease pain
- restore balance in the body.”
Here are some well-known pressure points on your body believed to relieve headaches, pain and other aches.
Pressure Point – LI-4 (Hegu)
Figure 1. Finding the space between your left thumb and index finger
Pressure point LI-4, also called Hegu, is located between the base of your thumb and index finger. Doing acupressure on this point to relieve pain and headaches.
- Using your right thumb and index finger, find the space on your left hand between the base of your left thumb and index finger (see Figure 1).
- Press down on this point for 5 minutes. Use a circular motion. Be firm, but don’t press so hard that it hurts.
- Repeat the process on your right hand.
You can perform acupressure several times a day, or as often as needed for your symptoms to go away.
Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Pressure Point – Union valley
The union valley points are located on the web between your thumb and index finger. To treat headaches:
- Start by pinching this area with the thumb and index finger of your opposite hand firmly — but not painfully — for 10 seconds.
- Next, make small circles with your thumb on this area in one direction and then the other, for 10 seconds each.
- Repeat this process on the Union Valley point on your opposite hand.
This type of pressure point treatment is believed to relieve tension in the head and neck. Tension is often associated with headaches.
Source: Healthline.com
Pressure Point – Drilling bamboo
Drilling bamboo points are located at the indentations on either side of the spot where the bridge of your nose meets the ridge of your eyebrows. To use these pressure points to treat headaches:
- Use both of your index fingers to apply firm pressure to both points at once.
- Hold for 10 seconds.
- Release and repeat.
Touching these pressure points can relieve headaches that are caused by eyestrain and sinus pain or pressure.
Source: Healthline.com
Pressure Point – Gates of consciousness
The gates of consciousness pressure points are located at the base of the skull in the parallel hollow areas between the two vertical neck muscles. To use these pressure points:
- Place your index and middle fingers of either hand onto these pressure points.
- Press firmly upward on both sides at once for 10 seconds, then release and repeat.
Applying firm touch to these pressure points can help relieve headaches caused by tension in the neck.
Source: Healthline.com
Pressure Point – Third eye
The third eye point can be found between your two eyebrows where the bridge of your nose meets your forehead.
- Use the index finger of one hand to apply firm pressure to this area for 1 minute.
Firm pressure applied to the third eye pressure point is thought to relieve eyestrain and sinus pressure that often cause headaches.
Pressure Point – Shoulder well
The shoulder well is located at the edge of your shoulder, halfway between your shoulder point and the base of your neck. To use this pressure point:
- Use the thumb of one hand to apply firm, circular pressure to this point for 1 minute.
- Then switch and repeat on the opposite side.
Applying firm touch to the shoulder well pressure point can help relieve stiffness in your neck and shoulders, relieving neck pain and preventing headaches caused by this kind of sensation.
Source: Healthline.com
Give us a call at 727-772-0220 to for your next massage to help you relieve headaches, pain and aches.
I Got Your Back Massage Therapy is conveniently located at 1684 Alternate 19 in Palm Harbor. Our massage therapists are skilled in a number of techniques to help you improve your physical and mental health, including relaxation massage, deep tissue massage, hot stone massage, reiki, and aromatherapy. Contact the professionals at I Got Your Back Massage Therapy and set up an appointment.
