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Next time you have a headache, you may want to skip the pain relievers and try acupressure. It’s safe and can be surprisingly effective.

What Is Acupressure?

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, pain and illness are viewed as an interruption in the flow of qi (energy). Acupressure and acupuncture aim to balance and restore the flow of qi through the body. Acupoints are places on the body where the flow of qi can be influenced (e.g. via needles, electrical stimulation, & pressure) to regulate bodily functions and relieve pain.

How to Perform Acupressure

To perform acupressure, use direct pressure to the indicated point with your finger or thumb. Press the point lightly, increasing slowly to a firm pressure. (Of course, if you’re working with a delicate area such as the face, use light pressure.) Hold the point until you feel some relief, or up to a minute. Breathe deeply as you hold the point.

Acupressure Points for Headache Relief

Below are some acupressure points for headache relief. You can do all of them as a routine, or just experiment and find the ones that work best for you.

The “Hoku point” (LI4) is excellent for headache relief. It is located on the back of the hand, in the webbing where the thumb and index finger meet. Find the exact point by bringing your thumb and index finger together. The muscle will bulge a little–that’s the spot. Squeeze the point by putting your thumb on the point, and your index finger on the palm side of your hand. Angle the pressure toward the bone that connects with the index finger. Hold for one minute and switch hands. Do not use the Hoku Point if you are pregnant.
Use your thumbs to firmly press the back of the neck underneath the base of your skull into the indentations on either side of the spine, two to three inches apart, depending on the size of your skull. Slowly tilt your head back and firmly press up underneath the skull. These are the GB20 points. This technique is one of my personal favorites for headache relief.
Press the top of the feet, in the web between the big and second toes. You can either use your hands for this, working both feet at the same time, or you can use the heel of the opposite foot to work one foot at a time. This point is Lv3.
With the palms of your hands together, let your head tilt downward and place your index and third fingers on the point directly between the eyebrows, where the bridge of the nose meets the forehead. (Or just use an index finger or thumb.) This point is called GV24.5.
Apply steady pressure to the top of head, where lines drawn to the top of the head from the ears and nose would intersect. This is GV20. Do not use this point if you have high blood pressure.
Use your thumb and index finger to press the indentations on either side of the nose, where the bridge of the nose meets the ridge of the eyebrows. This is B2.
Use the middle and index fingers of both hands to gently press up underneath the cheekbones, directly below the center of the eye. This point is St3.
Many of these suggestions are taken from the book Acupressure’s Potent Points by Michael Reed Gach, which I highly recommend.
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“Red Flag” Headaches: See Your Doctor Immediately

While you can safely treat most headaches yourself, some need medical attention. The following headache symptoms are signs of potentially serious, even life-threatening health problems. Please consult your medical doctor immediately if:

• you experience extremely intense head pain (i.e. it feels like the worst headache of your life)
• the headache comes on very suddenly and severely (like a “thunderclap”)
• your headache is accompanied by mental confusion
• your headache is accompanied by unusual symptoms such as passing out, loss of vision, or difficulty walking or speaking
• your headache is accompanied by a high fever (over 100 degrees F) and/or stiff neck
• you are over 50 and the headache is a new kind of headache for you
• your headache was preceded by head trauma.
• you have a family history of brain aneurysms.

The theory behind acupuncture is at once complex and rich in detail, yet really quite easy to grasp. The following will outline the basics of acupuncture theory and provide a springboard for further investigation into the depths of Chinese medical theory.

Most basically, Meridians or energetic lay lines, have been mapped throughout the human body. These meridians flow within the body and not on the surface.

Each meridian exists in a corresponding pair and has many acupuncture points along its path. The meridian system consists of twelve main channels. Each channel or meridian has many specific, recognized acupuncture points.

Although the meridians themselves are not thought of as physically identifiable, their existence is proved by observation of the effect of stimulating various pressure points.

The theory and practice of acupuncture developed hand in hand as practitioners observed the effects of different kinds of needling in different specific areas of the body.

The meridian system can be thought of as an energetic distribution network that in itself tends toward an energetic manifestation. Many charts and graphs exist that show the meridian pathways of the body.

Another feature that is always present on a meridian chart of the human body is the specific points that are marked upon the individual channel or meridian. These specific points are known as acupoints. Some channels appear to have many points distributed along them, some have fewer; some points are grouped closely together and others more distantly. These acupoints along the meridian channels can be thought of as access points to the flow of qi, or energy, in the body.

The idea of Qi flow in the body could be thought of as a river. A river has a source and it follows its course ultimately toward the ocean. As the river flows it will vary from shallow to deep, quick flowing to slow flowing, while always following the most ‘natural’ path. If we use this analogy of a river, we can think about a whirlpool in that river and consider how the whirlpool effect draws everything down into the heart of the river. This whirlpool is a vortex that gives access to the depth of the river at this point. We can consider acupuncture points as ‘energy vortices’ that draw Qi into or out of the body’s energy flow and provide access points at which the Qi flow of the body can be directly influenced from the outside.

Simple pressure on a specific point or ‘energy vortex’ will produce changes in the energy system, with consequent physical effects. This provides the basis for simple acupressure treatment. We do this simple acupressure technique naturally when we rub our temples when we have a headache or massage our lower back when it aches. Acupuncture simply takes this a stage further.

In acupuncture, fine needles are inserted into the patient’s body as a series of appropriately selected acupoints. The effect of the needling is expected to cause changes in the pattern of the patient’s energy system with the result being beneficial changes at the physical level. It is thought likely that the practitioner’s own energy system is also a factor in the process, the needle becoming an extension of that energy system.

Many conditions can be cured or at least improved by acupuncture administered by a qualified and experienced practitioner. A distal point (farthest from the site of the symptoms) is usually needled, as well as local points. A course of treatment is generally required, although results of a single treatment may sometimes be immediate and dramatic.

Acupuncture theory includes a system of differentiating disease patterns and the level of the problem in the body. If the client is suffering a lot of pain problems on the exterior of the body and/or an acute condition then the problem is considered a channel problem (meaning more superficial). Acupuncture at this level moves stuck qi, clears stagnation and expels external pathogenic factors. Local and distal points may be used and the results are often seen quickly.

If the client is suffering more chronic and long term problems, then the condition is considered to be an organ or Zang fu disharmony. The situation may be one of excess or deficient energy, or perhaps both, and the points selected will be dictated by the situation and the organs effected.

A combination of both channel problems and organ disharmony can also be treated at one time but priorities must be set. Excess conditions are usually treated before a deficiency condition and problems of a dual or complex nature are often treated with other modalities as well as acupuncture, such as herbal medicine or tui na massage.