Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPoint LocationsTechniquesHow Well It WorksWhen to Seek TreatmentConsiderations
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Point Locations
Techniques
How Well It Works
When to Seek Treatment
Considerations
Pressure points for headaches are located in the hand, wrist, feet, and elsewhere. According to traditional Chinese medicine, these specific spots can be physically manipulated to naturally relieve headaches.
Acupressure is different than acupuncture. Acupuncture involves the insertion of small needles to stimulate specific spots on the body, while acupressure uses physical touch at pressure points. Pressing these areas may improve blood flow and reduce muscle tension related to head pain.If you have amigraineor other headache pain, you may benefit from acupressure.
This article explains pressure points for headaches and discusses the research on whether they’re effective for migraine relief. It also discusses where these pressure points are located, how to use the methods, and some acupressure devices you may want to try.
Locating Pressure Points for Headaches
Acupressure is the use of physical pressure in specific parts of the body. These points are called acupoints or pressure points. They are used to release what the Chinese callqi, or the healthy flow of energy through the body.
Hand and Wrist Pressure Points for Headaches
Two pressure points on the hand and wrist are often used to help relieve headaches:
Head Pressure Points for Headaches
A few pressure points on the head may also help control headache pain:
Neck and Shoulder Pressure Points for Headaches
Try these pressure points on the neck and shoulder:
Foot Pressure Point for Headaches
TheLIV-3 (Taichong)pressure point islocated on the top of the feet at the first metatarsal region—a depression near where the big toe and the long toe meet. LIV-3 is noted as a point that helps relieve head pain.
Ear Pressure Points for Headaches
Applying pressure to certain parts of the ear—a technique known as auricular point acupressure—has some merit. It has been scientifically shown to reduce chronic headaches and even low back pain.
Some recommend pressure or stimulation of the Daith point—the cartilage just above the opening of the ear. One case study reported a patient who did not find relief from migraine symptoms until after Daith piercing, despite having tried multiple therapies. While this patient saw a reduction in migraine attacks, more scientific research is needed to confirm these findings.
Using Pressure Points for Migraine Relief
Acupressure is often self-applied. It’s good to get guidance on these methods, and, in addition to professionals, there are many resources that can help. Specific techniques vary, but here are some general instructions:
Devices for Acupressure
Special devices can help deliver pressure to certain pressure points. The most common of these devices include:
Is Acupressure Effective for Headaches?
Though there’s more research to do, a significant body of evidence suggests that acupressure and the stimulation of pressure points can help with migraine. The technique has also been shown to be effective for other types of pain. Studies have demonstrated myriad effects, including:
Notably,acupuncture—which involves stimulating the same points as acupressure—has shown efficacy in reducing the incidence and severity of attacks.This suggests that stimulation of pressure points can be helpful.
That said, there are still questions about the overall efficacy of acupressure for migraine, and this technique should be used along with other methods of migraine management.
When to Seek Professional Treatment
There are some cases where you or a loved one will need emergency help. Skip pressure point therapy and call 911 if:
If you don’t have signs of needing urgent help, but any of the following apply to you, call your healthcare provider:
When to Avoid Acupressure
You should avoid acupressure on areas that are injured, including open wounds, bruises, varicose veins, and swollen areas.
If you’re pregnant, acupressure is generally safe. Still, you don’t want to put pressure on your abdomen, specific points on your leg, or on your lower back.
Some people believe that certain pressure points, including the LI-4, can induce labor. Although research hasn’t shown that acupressure can have this effect, there is some evidence that it can help reduce pain and the duration of labor.
Talk to your healthcare provider aboutacupressure benefits, risks, and alternatives before any treatment.
Summary
Acupressure may be an effective treatment to use alongside other headache remedies such as over-the-counter or prescription medication.
Pressure points for headaches can be found on the hands, head, and feet. Putting pressure on these areas could help relieve symptoms related to headaches and migraines including pain, nausea, and the frequency of attacks.
If you’re interested in trying acupressure, ask your healthcare provider about it and other methods of managing migraines.
A Word From Verywell
—STEFFINI STALOS, DO, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Acupressure for pain and headaches.Allen J, Deng Y, Langland J.Treatment of chronic refractory migraine with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine: a case series.J Chin Med. 2016;110:36.Liu M, Tong Y, Chai L, Chen S, Xue Z, Chen Y, Li X.Effects of auricular point acupressure on pain relief: a systematic review.Pain Manag Nurs. 2021;22(3):268-280. doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2020.07.007Rizzo AC, Paolucci M, Altavilla R, et al.Daith piercing in a case of chronic migraine: a possible vagal modulation.Front Neurol. 2017;8:624. doi:10.3389/fneur.2017.00624Asgari MR, Asghari F, Ghods AA, Ghorbani R, Motlagh NH.The effect of acupressure on the severity of nausea during hemodialysis.Crescent J Med Biol Sci. 2020;7(1).Falsiroli Maistrello L, Geri T, Gianola S, Zaninetti M, Testa M.Effectiveness of trigger point manual treatment on the frequency, intensity, and duration of attacks in primary headaches: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Front Neurol. 2018;9. doi:10.3389/fneur.2018.00254Xu JH, Mi HY.A randomized controlled trial of acupressure as an adjunctive therapy to sodium valproate on the prevention of chronic migraine with aura.Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(27):e7477. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000007477Song Y, Li T, Ma C, Liu H, Liang F, Yang Y.Comparative efficacy of acupuncture-related therapy for migraine: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Front Neurol. 2022;13:1010410. doi:10.3389/fneur.2022.1010410Linde K, Allais G, Brinkhaus B et al.Acupuncture for the prevention of episodic migraine.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;2016(6):CD001218 doi:10.1002/14651858.cd001218.pub3National Institutes of Health.Migraine.Schlaeger JM, Gabzdyl EM, Bussell JL, et al.Acupuncture and acupressure in labor.J Midwifery Womens Health. 2017;62(1):12-28. doi:10.1111/jmwh.12545
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Acupressure for pain and headaches.Allen J, Deng Y, Langland J.Treatment of chronic refractory migraine with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine: a case series.J Chin Med. 2016;110:36.Liu M, Tong Y, Chai L, Chen S, Xue Z, Chen Y, Li X.Effects of auricular point acupressure on pain relief: a systematic review.Pain Manag Nurs. 2021;22(3):268-280. doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2020.07.007Rizzo AC, Paolucci M, Altavilla R, et al.Daith piercing in a case of chronic migraine: a possible vagal modulation.Front Neurol. 2017;8:624. doi:10.3389/fneur.2017.00624Asgari MR, Asghari F, Ghods AA, Ghorbani R, Motlagh NH.The effect of acupressure on the severity of nausea during hemodialysis.Crescent J Med Biol Sci. 2020;7(1).Falsiroli Maistrello L, Geri T, Gianola S, Zaninetti M, Testa M.Effectiveness of trigger point manual treatment on the frequency, intensity, and duration of attacks in primary headaches: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Front Neurol. 2018;9. doi:10.3389/fneur.2018.00254Xu JH, Mi HY.A randomized controlled trial of acupressure as an adjunctive therapy to sodium valproate on the prevention of chronic migraine with aura.Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(27):e7477. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000007477Song Y, Li T, Ma C, Liu H, Liang F, Yang Y.Comparative efficacy of acupuncture-related therapy for migraine: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Front Neurol. 2022;13:1010410. doi:10.3389/fneur.2022.1010410Linde K, Allais G, Brinkhaus B et al.Acupuncture for the prevention of episodic migraine.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;2016(6):CD001218 doi:10.1002/14651858.cd001218.pub3National Institutes of Health.Migraine.Schlaeger JM, Gabzdyl EM, Bussell JL, et al.Acupuncture and acupressure in labor.J Midwifery Womens Health. 2017;62(1):12-28. doi:10.1111/jmwh.12545
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Acupressure for pain and headaches.Allen J, Deng Y, Langland J.Treatment of chronic refractory migraine with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine: a case series.J Chin Med. 2016;110:36.Liu M, Tong Y, Chai L, Chen S, Xue Z, Chen Y, Li X.Effects of auricular point acupressure on pain relief: a systematic review.Pain Manag Nurs. 2021;22(3):268-280. doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2020.07.007Rizzo AC, Paolucci M, Altavilla R, et al.Daith piercing in a case of chronic migraine: a possible vagal modulation.Front Neurol. 2017;8:624. doi:10.3389/fneur.2017.00624Asgari MR, Asghari F, Ghods AA, Ghorbani R, Motlagh NH.The effect of acupressure on the severity of nausea during hemodialysis.Crescent J Med Biol Sci. 2020;7(1).Falsiroli Maistrello L, Geri T, Gianola S, Zaninetti M, Testa M.Effectiveness of trigger point manual treatment on the frequency, intensity, and duration of attacks in primary headaches: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Front Neurol. 2018;9. doi:10.3389/fneur.2018.00254Xu JH, Mi HY.A randomized controlled trial of acupressure as an adjunctive therapy to sodium valproate on the prevention of chronic migraine with aura.Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(27):e7477. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000007477Song Y, Li T, Ma C, Liu H, Liang F, Yang Y.Comparative efficacy of acupuncture-related therapy for migraine: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Front Neurol. 2022;13:1010410. doi:10.3389/fneur.2022.1010410Linde K, Allais G, Brinkhaus B et al.Acupuncture for the prevention of episodic migraine.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;2016(6):CD001218 doi:10.1002/14651858.cd001218.pub3National Institutes of Health.Migraine.Schlaeger JM, Gabzdyl EM, Bussell JL, et al.Acupuncture and acupressure in labor.J Midwifery Womens Health. 2017;62(1):12-28. doi:10.1111/jmwh.12545
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Acupressure for pain and headaches.
Allen J, Deng Y, Langland J.Treatment of chronic refractory migraine with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine: a case series.J Chin Med. 2016;110:36.
Liu M, Tong Y, Chai L, Chen S, Xue Z, Chen Y, Li X.Effects of auricular point acupressure on pain relief: a systematic review.Pain Manag Nurs. 2021;22(3):268-280. doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2020.07.007
Rizzo AC, Paolucci M, Altavilla R, et al.Daith piercing in a case of chronic migraine: a possible vagal modulation.Front Neurol. 2017;8:624. doi:10.3389/fneur.2017.00624
Asgari MR, Asghari F, Ghods AA, Ghorbani R, Motlagh NH.The effect of acupressure on the severity of nausea during hemodialysis.Crescent J Med Biol Sci. 2020;7(1).
Falsiroli Maistrello L, Geri T, Gianola S, Zaninetti M, Testa M.Effectiveness of trigger point manual treatment on the frequency, intensity, and duration of attacks in primary headaches: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Front Neurol. 2018;9. doi:10.3389/fneur.2018.00254
Xu JH, Mi HY.A randomized controlled trial of acupressure as an adjunctive therapy to sodium valproate on the prevention of chronic migraine with aura.Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(27):e7477. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000007477
Song Y, Li T, Ma C, Liu H, Liang F, Yang Y.Comparative efficacy of acupuncture-related therapy for migraine: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Front Neurol. 2022;13:1010410. doi:10.3389/fneur.2022.1010410
Linde K, Allais G, Brinkhaus B et al.Acupuncture for the prevention of episodic migraine.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;2016(6):CD001218 doi:10.1002/14651858.cd001218.pub3
National Institutes of Health.Migraine.
Schlaeger JM, Gabzdyl EM, Bussell JL, et al.Acupuncture and acupressure in labor.J Midwifery Womens Health. 2017;62(1):12-28. doi:10.1111/jmwh.12545
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