Acupressure sequences for general headaches
Address underlying causes
Headaches are common and are experienced for a variety of reasons. This section offers some acupressure protocols to help relieve your headache pain, but it will be important to address any underlying cause for long-term relief. For example, think about:
- How much fluid have you consumed?
- Have you eaten enough food?
- Have you had caffeine?
- How has your sleep been recently?
- Have you been staring at screens all day?
- Do you eat a lot of sugar?
- You might benefit from drinking more water, eating, or making other lifestyle adjustments.
General Headache Acupoints
Use these points if you have a headache that is not specific to one area (and as a starting sequence for all types of headaches).
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Apply Pressure to Ll4
This point is located on hand, in the web between the thumb and index finger. Place the hand palm down. When the thumb and pointer finger are pressed together, the point is located at the highest point of the muscle. -
Apply Pressure to GB 20
The point is located where the base of the skull and neck meet, and one finger width outward from the edge of the spine in the small depression. Place fingers on the vertebra of the neck just below the edge of the skull. Gently move the fingers laterally along the lower edge of the skull, over the thick muscles of the trapezius, until your fingers fall into a depression that feels like a small pool. This point is typically located at the most sensitive, deepest point in the hollow.
The acupoint protocols shared in these materials are general in nature, intended to provide complementary therapeutic support to patients in an easily reproducible format. In contrast, licensed acupuncturists and healthcare providers trained in Chinese Medicine develop individualized acupoint prescriptions through patient assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning based on Chinese Medicine theory. The acupoints used by licensed acupuncturists and Chinese Medicine providers to treat specific symptoms and address the root causes of illness may vary widely from the following protocols, based on the individual.
