Acupressure for Headaches

Being an ancient healing technique, acupressure has garnered immense popularity and acceptability throughout the world by providing relief in several health conditions. It is often regarded as a variation of the acupuncture technique, as both the techniques are based on the same principles. Both acupressure and acupuncture work by stimulating certain specific pressure points located in different regions of the body. Stimulation of these pressure points is believed to improve our body's response to a number of health conditions. The only difference between both the processes is that, in acupuncture, the pressure points are stimulated with the help of needles, while in acupressure, fingers, elbows or some special devices like acupressure balls and mats are used for this purpose.

Acupressure Technique for Headaches
According to the ancient Chinese practices of acupressure and acupuncture, there are more than thousand pressure points in our body, which are located on meridians. Meridians are the imaginary lines, through which the life energy flows. Any obstruction to this flow of energy is believed to be associated with different diseases. So stimulation of acupressure points can improve the flow of energy through the meridians, to provide relief from several diseases including, headaches.

Headache can be a symptom of numerous health conditions, and can also be associated with tension, stress and fatigue. Acupressure can provide significant relief in headache, by stimulating certain specific pressure points. These pressure points are, gallbladder 20 or Gb 20, large intestine 4 or Li 4 and Point Lv 3. Know more about acupressure for nausea and acupressure for weight loss.

How to Use Acupressure for Headaches
As has been mentioned already, there are more than thousand pressure points in our body. Therefore, determining or locating the exact pressure points, associated with headaches is of crucial importance to use acupressure for headaches. A beginner can consult an expert in this field, or take the help of reflexology maps in order to locate the pressure points associated with headache. To stimulate these pressure points, one has to gently massage or apply pressure on them with the help of fingers.

The gallbladder 20 or Gb 20 pressure point is located at the base of the skull. It is the dent or depression that can be felt, just below the base of the skull. Stimulation of this point can relieve headache felt in the temple region, and the sides of the head. You can apply direct pressure on this point with your finger for 2 to 3 minutes, and them gently massage the area. The other acupressure point, Li 4 or large intestine 4 is located in the web between the thumb and the index finger. Use your thumb of the other hand to press this point for about 2 to 3 minutes. Then gently massage the area with gentle strokes towards the wrist, for another 2 minutes. This point can be very effective for relieving not only headaches, but toothaches and sinus pain as well.

The point Lv 3, on the other hand is located between the big toe and first toe. Stimulation of this point can ease the pain behind the eyes. Apart from these, gently pressing or massaging the temples, and the inner corners of the eyebrows can also provide headache relief. Another effective pressure point is the one, which can be found in the area, where both the eyebrows meet the nose bridge. You can feel a slight depression in that area. Massaging this point in upward direction for about 1 to 2 minutes, can help to get rid of headaches. Know more about:

• Pressure Points of the Body
• Pressure Points for Headaches
• Pressure Points for Nausea

Acupressure for headaches can be immensely helpful in managing both tension and migraine headaches. While using acupressure for headaches, the most crucial point is the proper identification of the pressure points. Therefore, it is advisable to follow the guidance of an expert acupressure professional while locating the pressure points for the first time. One should also be careful not to stimulate some pressure points in certain conditions. As for example, the Li 4 or large intestine 4 point should not be stimulated by pregnant women. Stimulation of this point is known to induce uterine contractions in pregnant women, and hence, can lead to premature labor. This points to the fact that, a lot of care and caution need to be taken while practicing acupressure for headaches.