Acupressure

What is acupressure?

Acupressure is a traditional hands-on therapy in which steady pressure is applied with the fingers, thumbs, palms or a blunt tool to specific points on the body. It shares its map of points with acupuncture, which comes from traditional Chinese medicine, but uses no needles. Similar pressure-point ideas also appear in Indian traditions such as marma therapy, and in Japanese shiatsu.

Because it is non-invasive and drug-free, acupressure is often one of the first therapies people try.

What happens in a session

1. Your therapist asks about your health, the areas that bother you and any medicines you take.
2. You stay fully clothed, sitting or lying comfortably. Loose clothing helps.
3. The therapist presses each chosen point firmly but comfortably, often for 30 seconds to two minutes, sometimes with small circular movements.
4. Pressure is adjusted to your comfort. A tender point may feel achy but should never be sharply painful.
5. You may be shown a few points to press yourself at home.

Points people often ask about

Two well-known points are LI4 (Hegu), in the web between the thumb and index finger, traditionally used for headaches and tension, and PC6 (Neiguan), three finger-widths above the inner wrist crease, which has been studied for nausea. Your therapist will show you how to find them correctly.

Who may consider it

• People looking for a gentle, relaxing, drug-free therapy.
• People with everyday muscle tension in the neck, shoulders or back.
• People who would like simple self-care techniques for home.

What the research says

Research on acupressure is mixed and many studies are small. There is reasonable evidence that pressing the PC6 point may help some people with nausea, for example after surgery or in pregnancy. For pain and sleep, results are less certain. Acupressure is very safe when done gently by a trained person.

Further reading

• Acupuncture: effectiveness and safety (includes acupressure), NCCIH
• Related: Pain, Spine & Joint Management